Paths Not Taken
by J.D. Cunegan
Summary: AU: Kate Beckett finds herself thrust into a world in which she and Richard Castle have never met. But this world is far more different than she realizes, and not every difference has to do with her relationship with her husband-to-be.
1. Chapter 1: Waking Up

_**Author's Note: This story picks up in the early portions of 7x06, "Time of Our Lives." This AU is far more extensive than just exploring how Beckett and Castle never met - and yes, I took *a lot* of liberties. Enjoy!**_

* * *

><p>It took almost a minute for Kate Beckett to gather her bearings. The ringing in her ears eventually stopped; her vision cleared soon after. The detective sat up, her face scrunched in confusion. She wasn't in any pain. She still had all of her extremities. Her engagement ring was still firmly planted on her left hand.<p>

For a second, Kate couldn't remember why she was in an abandoned coal plant. The memory returned soon enough. She was working on a case, her fiancé having convinced her to come up here because he had a hunch.

Most of the time, Richard Castle's hunches were right.

Gingerly, Kate got back to her feet, dusting herself off. Her green eyes examined her surroundings. The plant was definitely abandoned, and there was no sign of anyone else on the premises. A wave of worry surged within the detective as she took a tentative step forward.

"Castle?"

Silence. Kate brushed a strand of brown hair behind her ear, swallowing back dread.

"Castle?!"

Still nothing. Her heartbeat quickened, adrenaline and fear sending her into a dead sprint before she slammed her shoulder into a heavy door, pushing past it and rolling onto her back with a grunt.

The dull ache in her shoulder faded, and Kate took a few moments to catch her breath. She sat up, her eyes dancing around the facility. The black Jeep was gone. So was the silver briefcase. There was no evidence that anything had gone on in the coal plant any time recently, and as Kate stood up again, she couldn't help but shake her head.

"_Castle?!_"

Her voice echoed back at her, but Kate heard nothing else. There was no sign of her fiancé. Panic threatened to overwhelm the detective, but she ran her fingers through her hair and sucked in a deep, calming breath. Fishing the white iPhone from her pocket, Kate fished through her contacts list until she saw Castle's name.

She was about to hit "call" when she noticed: no bars.

"Shit."

She ignored the panic threatening to rear its ugly head again, pacing in circles and spouting off facts as she knew them, out loud, despite there being no one around to hear these ideas. "Okay, uh…" _Think, Kate…think!_ "It was just a flash bomb. No real harm. I'm okay. There's no blood anywhere."

She turned on the balls of her feet to where she remembered the Jeep being…only to see there were no tire tracks, nothing to hint that the vehicle had once been parked there. The table she remembered the briefcase being on was also undisturbed.

Kate frowned. It was as if this place had been wiped completely clean.

"Maybe Rick went home." She was a terrible liar, especially to herself.

Still, it was the best theory she could come up with at the moment – and it had the added benefit of getting her the hell out of this abandoned coal plant. Since she clearly wasn't going to find any clues here, she was better off cutting her losses and going somewhere else.

* * *

><p>No sooner did Kate emerge from the elevator on the floor she needed, she was nearly bowled over by a redhead in a hurry. She kept her footing, in part, by grabbing onto the railing in the elevator, furrowing her brow when her eyes focused on the woman in question.<p>

"Martha?!"

The other woman stopped, her eyes focusing once she heard her own name said back to her. She stood upright, left arm curled in front of her, purple purse hanging off her elbow. The redheaded woman, who looked to be in her 60s, if not older, wore a lime green button down over a blue-and-white patterned t-shirt. Her pants were white, and the entire ensemble just screamed…_loud_.

"Is there something I can do for you, dear?"

Kate frowned, her arm jutting out to keep the elevator doors from closing when she heard the familiar _ping_. Why was Martha acting like she was looking at a stranger? The detective saw the unfamiliarity, the questioning, in the older woman's gaze, and she felt a pit in her stomach.

"Martha." Kate repeated. "It…it's me. Kate."

Martha furrowed her brow, leaning in and shaking her head. "I'm sorry, dear, but I don't know anyone by that name."

Kate opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She shook her head, eyes narrowing. "But…your son…"

"Oh, you know _Richard_!" Martha's expression instantly lightened and she softly clasped her hands together. "It's good for him to get out and meet new people. And you certainly seem much more put-together than Chelsea." The redhead waved her hand in a dismissive fashion. "I wouldn't bother him right now, though. He's trying to meet deadline."

Kate stepped out of the elevator with a frown, watching as Martha disappeared behind the closing doors. She stared down the hallway, her feet seemingly glued to the carpet. She could see the door to Castle's loft from where she stood. What was keeping her from walking over and just…knocking on his door?

And what was _with_ Martha, anyway?

Casting one more glance back at the elevator, Kate forced herself to move. She tentatively wandered to Castle's door, taking in a deep breath before rapping her knuckles against the door. She cringed at how timid the sound was, and how little sense this was all making. She waited far longer than she thought she should, thinking maybe he hadn't heard the knock, but when she raised her fist to try again, she was startled by the door swinging open.

"Mother, did you forget your—" Richard Castle blinked, his hand on the door. He wore about a week's worth of stubble on his face, and his blue eyes were dark and worn – though they brightened considerably when he laid eyes on the woman standing at his door. "Um…hi."

"Hey, Castle." She tried to keep it casual, trying to act like everything was normal – even though it sure as hell wasn't – and…his clothes were awful clean for having just been hoofing around in a coal plant.

"Hi." His brow furrowed and his head cocked to the side. "I'm sorry…do I know you?"

Kate felt her heart sink, her shoulders lowering. She could almost feel the breath being sucked out of her, and she shot the man standing across from her a look of shock, anger, and hurt before showing him her left hand – and the sparkling ring on her finger.

His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "_Wow._" He swallowed, giving the woman at his door a sympathetic yet skeptical look. "Hey, look, I'm sorry, but…I think I would remember someone if I bought _that _for them."

"Dad, what's going on?"

Kate frowned at the sound of Alexis' voice, watching as Castle looked behind the door and shook his head. "Nothing, sweetie."

"Well, Gina called, and she wants the last four chapters by midnight."

Castle rolled his eyes and shook his head before giving a forced smile to Kate. She folded her arms over her chest and gave him _the look_ – to which his furrowed brow only deepened and he took a step forward.

Much to Kate's surprise, she took a step back.

"What's your name?" He propped his left elbow against the door frame.

Unfolding her arms, Kate shook her head and laughed. "Ooookay…" She ran her fingers through her hair and shrugged her shoulders. "That's cute, Castle. Reeeeal cute. You got me. Consider us even after what I pulled on your birthday a couple years back. Now come on, cut the game."

Castle frowned, his hands stuffed in the pocket of his jeans. He seemed genuinely confused. "I'm sorry, Miss…?"

Kate felt her cheeks growing hot, averting her gaze. "Beckett." She swallowed. "Kate Beckett."

Castle's expression brightened, as if a pang of familiarity had hit him. Kate watched with equal parts hope and exasperation, but before she could say anything, Castle ran back into his apartment, behind the door and out of her line of sight.

She thought about following him inside, but he was back at the doorway before she could react, a childish grin on his face and a folded-up newspaper in his hand.

"Beckett." He repeated. "You the new Senator's daughter?"

Her brow furrowed. "Excuse me?"

Castle unfolded the newspaper and showed Kate the headline. Her eyes took in the big, bold print, and as soon as she did, her knees grew weak and she grabbed at the door frame to keep herself from falling over.

The headline read: _Johanna Beckett: New York's Next Senator._


	2. Chapter 2: Out of Sorts

Nothing made any sense.

Kate Beckett sat on the couch in Richard Castle's loft – only Richard Castle appeared to be a complete stranger (despite the evidence to the contrary on her left ring finger). On top of that, Kate kept stealing glances at his daughter, who had the same name she remembered, but now had black hair with purple streaks and…a nose ring?

The loft was vastly different than Kate remembered. Far less color. The drapes over the windows were a navy blue. His office was no longer visible from the living room. His bookshelves were stuffed to the proverbial gills, but she saw no sign of his own work.

Certainly no Nikki Heat books.

And then there was the newspaper, the _New York Times_ in her grasp, with that day's date on the top. At the bottom of the front page was a blurb about an upcoming Broadway production, apparently starring Martha.

But the headline was what had Kate's mind reeling. She stared at it in disbelief, shaking her head and trying to ignore the confused and worrisome looks Richard and Alexis were giving her.

"Ms. Beckett, trust me." Castle's voice was soft, if not dripping with confusion. "This is no joke. I watched the election results last night. Johanna gave a rousing victory speech."

Green eyes met his blue ones before Kate shook her head. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She felt tears burning in her eyes, but she sat up a little straighter and sucked in a deep breath to push them aside.

This wasn't right. This couldn't be happening. Yet she no longer thought this was an elaborate hoax on her fiancé's part…because no way would Castle be so cruel as to make her think her mother was alive again. He did some dumb things on numerous occasions, but he would never be _that_ dumb.

There had to be some explanation to all of this. Something that made perfect sense. But Detective Katherine Houghton Beckett, bastion of logic that she was, came up with nothing. She briefly wondered what Ryan and Esposito would make of all of this…but who was to say they weren't different too?

And now that she thought about it…

Kate's hand went straight for her left hip, and panic flashed in her eyes when the hand hit nothing but her shirt. She looked up at Castle, shaking her head. Her eyes were wide and his brow furrowed again – it would probably get stuck that way before too much longer.

"Castle…where are they?"

The man and his daughter exchanged a look.

"Where are what?"

Okay, this was getting really old, really fast. She sat up, her left leg bouncing up and down in agitation. Kate clenched her jaw and shook her head, trying to keep the anger out of her voice and failing. "My _badge_. My _gun_…"

Alexis joined her father, arms folded over her chest. "What badge?"

Castle looked at Kate like she belonged in a straitjacket. "What _gun_?!"

Kate felt her knees getting weak again, the same feeling she'd had in the doorway when Castle had shown her the newspaper. She ran shaky fingers though her hair and stared off into the kitchen, trying to compose herself.

When she looked back at the duo standing over her, she noticed how they were looking at her…like she was a lost child in the park.

"I'm a cop." She tried to keep her voice as steady as possible. "I work homicide at the 12th precinct." Kate grabbed for her phone, bringing up the contacts list before handing the phone to Castle.

"There, see? I work with Detectives Ryan and Esposito. Victoria Gates is our captain. You…" She stopped herself and sighed, only relenting when his blue eyes bore into her. "You consult with us on cases."

Castle frowned. "Why would I do that?"

_Because you weaseled yourself into my life six years ago under the pretense of research._

"You…" Kate blinked. "You're a novelist." She watched Alexis frown and run into Castle's office. "Mystery novels. You started shadowing me for research."

Castle shook his head and sat down to Kate's left. He stared at her phone, scratching an imaginary itch on his left temple. "I…I'm sorry." He handed the phone back to Kate. "I haven't written anything like that since I killed off Derrick Storm."

Kate's frown deepened. "Right…and then you met me and created Nikki Heat."

The brows on Castle's face arched and he couldn't contain the laugh that burst from his lips. He startled himself with it, though, immediately straightening and clearing his throat. "Sorry, uh…" He cringed. "I write vampire novels now."

Kate blinked. "You _what_?!"

"I know. I know." He stood and crossed to a nearby end table, opening the draw and pulling out a hardcover book. Returning to the sofa, he handed it to Kate. The cover was red and black, his name emblazoned on the top as always.

The title? _Tainted Blood_.

"I swore I never would, but Gina _insisted_ I hop on the gravy train after _Twilight_ took off."

Despite herself, Kate couldn't help but get in a dig. "So…what, you shadow Buffy?"

Castle seemed to take the joke in stride – _well, at least that wasn't any different_ – smirking and taking the book back. "If you mean the DVD marathon with Alexis, then yes." He sat back, studying Kate as her eyes took in the photo of Johanna on the front page of the paper.

"You're not a cop, Kate." He put his hands up in a defensive posture when she shot him an angry look. "The article mentions you." Castle sat up and took the paper from her and turned to one of the back pages, clearing his throat before reading:

_Senator-elect Beckett is the mother of New York Assistant District Attorney Katherine Beckett. The younger Beckett, one of the state's brightest legal minds, is widely expected to be on the rise – maybe even all the way to the Supreme Court_.

Kate was speechless, a tear falling from her right eye. Her original dream, getting into law. Working her way to the pinnacle of the profession. This was definitely a dream. She'd lost track over the years of how many times she had dreamed that her mother was still alive and that she was still pursuing her original career path.

But this still wasn't right. Not without her fiancé and his family.

"Rick…I—"

Alexis coming back into the living room stopped Kate's train of thought, freshly-printed paper in her hand. She sat next to her father and gave Kate a regretful glance, handing over the paper. "The name Ryan rang a bell, so I searched through some newspaper archives.

"He wasn't homicide, Ms. Beckett. He worked in Narcotics."

Kate frowned, noticing how Alexis was using the past tense. She felt her breath leave when she read the article handed to her, detailing how Kevin Ryan had been killed when an undercover operation to take down an Irish mob enforcer went wrong.

This wasn't right. None of this made sense. Kate couldn't stop a few more tears from rolling down her cheeks, desperately trying to piece everything together. Detective Ryan was dead. Johanna Beckett was alive – and a newly-minted Senator. Kate was Assistant DA, not a cop. Richard Castle wrote vampire novels. Martha Rodgers was a Broadway star. Alexis was…Kate wasn't really sure what she was yet.

Yet here Kate sat, with Richard Castle's engagement ring on her hand, but the man in question sat next to her, acting as if he'd never seen her before. Something felt wrong. The pit in her stomach grew deeper, and her fingers were shaking as he handed the paper back to Alexis.

Kate stood, taking a moment because she didn't trust her knees not to give out on her. Given the gravity of the situation, she fully expected to tumble back into the sofa again. But her footing held, and she gave the two people to her left a forced smile that turned more into a grimace.

"Uh, thank you." She nodded and swallowed. "And…sorry for barging in."

Kate made a beeline for the door, pushing her way through it and closing the door before either Castle or Alexis had a chance to say anything. She wiped tears from her face as she stomped her way to the elevator, jamming her thumb into the button repeatedly – as if it would help the elevator get there any faster.

Once the doors opened, she stepped into the elevator, finally letting herself go once the doors closed again.

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><p>Back in the loft, Castle stood with a sigh, shaking his head as he placed his novel back in the drawer. Alexis padded after him before he turned to her, his face scrunched in confusion. "Is it just me, or was that really weird?"<p>

Alexis shrugged. "Especially the way she looked at you. Like you were her fiancé or something."

"Did you see the ring?" He crossed into his office, leaving the door open for his daughter. "Trust me, that's something I would remember."

He sank into his chair with a sigh, rubbing his hands over his eyes. The cursor on his word processor mocked him. He had six hours to pump out four new chapters, or his publisher was going to have a fit. The fact that his publisher was also his second ex-wife only made the moment more pressure-packed.

Alexis grabbed her father's shoulder. "Should I call Ashley and re-schedule tonight's dinner?"

"No, sweetie." He gave his daughter a warm smile. "No reason why your girlfriend should suffer on account of my procrastination."

Alexis smiled and kissed her father's temple before walking out of his office.

He watched with a sigh, shaking his head. "Strange day…"


	3. Chapter 3: Curiosity

Due in no small part to his exuberant charm, Richard Castle managed to get a 72-hour extension on his deadline. Gina was nothing if not understanding – and slightly annoyed – but the fact of the matter was, he now had three extra days to write four chapters.

Well, three and a half. He'd actually made some headway after dinner with Ashley and Alexis.

But the words weren't flowing right. He had stopped mid-sentence, staring at the cursor. This wasn't writer's block. Castle sank into his swivel chair, grabbing a stress ball shaped like a female breast and squeezing it.

No…something was bugging him, gnawing away at his subconscious in such a way that he knew he wouldn't be able to focus on anything else until he scratched that proverbial itch. He glanced at the clock.

_Sigh._

11:53 p.m. Not only did Castle have three and a half chapters to write within the next few days, but he also had an interview with a local TV station at 7 the next morning. It looked like the following day would be a four-cups-of-coffee day.

Castle clicked to open the search engine on his laptop, squinting when white light from the monitor splashed across his stubbled face. His fingers tapped furiously against the keyboard, his blue eyes darting back and forth.

_Kate Beckett_.

Click.

Few results turned up, and one of them was the newspaper article he had mentioned to the woman earlier. She was pretty – downright gorgeous, even – and though Castle was convinced he'd never met her before, he couldn't deny that when she was in the loft earlier, he had felt…_something_.

If he were being honest, he had gotten lost in her green eyes earlier, even if he felt bad for the hurt and confusion in them. He didn't know if she was delusional or sick or what, but she clearly believed that he was her fiancé, that she was a homicide cop, and that he had created a fictional character with a Skinamax-worthy name based on her.

It made no sense, but Richard Castle being who he was, he had to see how this story ended.

Then again, in order for there to be an end, there had to be a beginning. Castle figured he was stuck somewhere in the middle of the second act in someone else's book.

As he suspected, someone of Kate Beckett's stature had a biography. Castle clicked the link with more enthusiasm than he probably should have, pausing when he saw the head shot accompanying the bio.

Brown hair tucked back into a ponytail, drawing further attention to those eyes. _Those eyes_… Her smile was small, but for Castle it spoke volumes. He felt the same tugging on his subconscious that he had earlier that day, but since he couldn't place it – maybe he was the one losing it – he pushed it aside.

New York native…graduated from Stanford…returned to NYU to study law…followed in her mother Johanna's footsteps as a civil rights attorney before her current job as Assistant DA…mother Johanna was recently elected United States Senator…father Jim was also an attorney…no siblings, no mention of a husband or anything hinting at a social life.

Yet the woman in the head shot had just been in his apartment, several hours earlier, convinced that she was a homicide detective, that Johanna was dead, and that she was Richard Castle's fiancée.

Castle returned to his search engine, typed in the name _Javier Esposito_.

No hits.

He tried again: _Victoria Gates_.

Commissioner of the NYPD.

Closing his laptop, finally resigning himself to the fact that he wasn't going to get any writing done, Castle sat back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. He wanted answers. It was entirely possible the woman who visited him earlier was out of her mind, but the former mystery writer in him realized it was also possible that she wasn't.

Truth be told, this would probably make a good novel. If he ever wanted to get out of the vampire game – and there were times where he did – maybe he'd have a story like this on which to fall back.

* * *

><p>So this was what it felt like to have one's world completely turned upside down.<p>

Kate Beckett wandered the streets of New York, desperately hoping for something – _anything_ – familiar. She stopped by the Old Haunt…only to realize it was owned by a man named Donald Hayes.

She thought of going to the precinct, but if she wasn't a cop – _to hell with that; I _am_ a cop!_ – then chances were she wouldn't even get into the building, let alone find a familiar face.

Her legs, wobbly and uncertain, took her to another old stomping ground…Remy's. Her spirits lifted slightly when she caught a whiff of the burgers being cooked on the grill, but when the young man behind the register looked at her as if he'd never seen her before – despite Kate and her fiancé being regulars – they deflated again.

Kate was about to leave when she heard a familiar voice placing an order. Large cheeseburger, hold the onions, medium vanilla shake. She turned back to look, almost losing her breath when the man and the counter turned around and she saw who it was.

Her father, Jim Beckett. Just…with a white goatee.

Kate frowned and closed her eyes. Something else that was different.

She put on the best "normal" face she could, approaching the table at which Jim had sat. "Dad?"

"Katie." Jim's expression brightened immediately, and he stood to give his daughter a hug – which she only half-returned – before returning to his seat and motioning for her to join him. "We weren't expecting to see you until the dinner tomorrow night."

"I was in the neighborhood." Kate hoped Jim couldn't sense her confusion, even as her eyes took in her surroundings. Her hometown, where she'd spent the vast majority of her life, yet nothing felt right anymore. "Wait…dinner?"

Jim grinned and shook his head. "The New York Chamber of Commerce is hosting a dinner to celebrate your mom being elected Senator."

"Oh. Right." She smiled, despite the knife twisting in her gut at the mention of her mother. Of all the differences, that was the most jarring – even more so than the man whose ring she was wearing, who seemed to have no idea who she was.

Her hands rested on the surface of the table, and Jim's eyebrows raised. "Uh…Katie?"

She snapped out of her trance in time to see her father staring at her hand, pointing. "Is there, uh…there something you need to tell me?"

_Shit!_

Her engagement ring. Kate panicked, not sure what to tell her father. The truth was pretty much out of the question – and considering she had no idea what else was different, she didn't dare say anything to risk looking even crazier than she felt.

Kate removed the ring, stuffing it in her pocket before lowering her hands under the table. She gave her father an evasive, sheepish grin, shaking her head.

"Katie…"

She swallowed. _Hard_.

"Are you okay?"

Desperate to not answer that question, but eager to figure out what the hell was going on, she shook her head and leaned back in her chair. "Where's mom?" Her eyes pled with her father to not ask any more questions.

Jim hesitated, giving his daughter a quizzical look before shaking his head. His food arriving gave Kate a brief reprieve, but by the time the food had been dropped off and Jim had taken his first bite, she realized someone needed to say something, and soon.

"Dad…"

He wiped a glob of ketchup from his mouth. "She's downtown with the mayor." He chuckled and shook his head. "My wife, the bigshot. She's been running all around town since they called the election." He took a swig from his milkshake. "She's got a lunch meeting tomorrow with the guy she beat."

Kate kept her gaze as level as possible, though she was acutely aware of her heart pounding away in her chest. Her nerves were frayed, her limbs all weak and tingly. She knew she was in for another bombshell, some new revelation to throw her world into even bigger turmoil, and yet…when her father said the man's name, it still hit her like an 18-wheeler.

"Yep…12:30 tomorrow, lunch meeting with William Bracken."

She didn't even think. Kate bolted from her chair so quickly that it toppled over, the commotion drawing the attention of everyone at Remy's – and passersby on the sidewalk. She ignored her father calling out to her, cutting onto a side street she couldn't recognize, running until her legs and her lungs gave out.

Leaning against a brick wall, Kate broke into a body-wracking sob. She dropped to her knees, gasping for air before wailing again, tears streaming down her face. Shaky fingers ran through her hair, and Kate curled up against herself, letting the emotion build up and run its course.

Minutes passed before Kate calmed enough to open her eyes again. She pulled the ring from her pocket, sniffling as she stared at it. She slowly slid the ring back onto her finger before grabbing the necklace hidden under her shirt.

She stared at the ring on the chain – her mother's ring – and took in a deep breath, forcing herself to stand. Enough with the confusion. Enough with the hallucinations or the bad dreams or the pranks or…whatever the _hell_ this was.

She needed answers…and she knew just where to start.


	4. Chapter 4: Misplaced Suspicion

Confused as she was about her new world – and with her eyes still red from her earlier breakdown – Kate Beckett was pleasantly surprised to realize her apartment was still her apartment…save some noticeable changes.

Mainly, the lack of a personal murder board.

Still, her wardrobe was there, and there were plenty of business-type clothes in her closet that she felt comfortable in posing as the Assistant District Attorney – even if she wasn't actually that. Kate pulled a gray pantsuit out of her closet, complete with white turtleneck, and as she changed, Kate desperately tried to remember every bit of pre-law she learned at Stanford.

It proved harder than she'd hoped, but Kate wondered if that was because of how mentally and emotionally taxed she was. Her mother's ring was still around her neck, and she paused to glance at the stone resting on her left hand.

Somehow, even with all the confusion and hysteria, that ring grounded her.

She _had_ to figure out what was going on. She _had_ to know what was happening to her.

A quick Google search gave her the address for William Bracken's office in the city, and she hoped against all hope that he was there. Kate had no idea what she would do if he was, but some part of her automatically assumed that whatever all of _this_ was…he had to be behind it.

Quite frankly? The thought of living in a world where Bracken was a free man again churned her stomach.

But this was her best shot at getting answers. Kate couldn't wrap her head around the fact that William Bracken and Johanna Beckett were both still alive, let alone the fact that she had just unseated him as a Senator.

Kate wouldn't lie; part of her wanted to hear that story. But she wanted her life back more.

Kate's heart stuck in her throat as she saw the light on in Bracken's New York office. She took a moment to steel herself, straightening her posture and taking several deep breaths. She examined herself in the faint reflection of the window front, brushing strands of hair out of her eyes and straightening her blazer.

She walked in, giving the receptionist a polite smile. The tag on the woman's desk said her name was Naomi, and Naomi acted as if she recognized Kate, because she motioned her through while punching a series of numbers into the telephone.

Kate gave a wave of thanks, despite her confusion.

Her steps slowed when she heard Bracken in his office talking to another man. Kate pressed her back against the wall, out of sight she hoped, her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel the sweat seeping onto her palms, eyes darting every which way.

"It's all taken care of." Bracken told his guest. "The charges against your brother will be dropped, thanks to his cooperation in the Johnny Vong sting."

"Thank you, Mr. Bracken." That voice sounded familiar, but Kate couldn't place it. The other man laughed. "It's gonna take a while to stop calling you Senator."

Kate heard the two men's hands clasp together before footsteps alerted her that the other man was coming her way. She relaxed her posture, ready to walk into Bracken's office, when the man brushed past her and the recognition stopped her in her tracks and caused her heart to skip a beat.

Dick Coonan.

Kate whirled around, brows furrowed as she watched Coonan walk out. The man who had killed her mother, the man she killed when he took Castle hostage. It was the first time Kate had taken another life, and the emotional enormity of that memory almost overwhelmed her, before the sound of Bracken clearing his throat snapped her back to the moment.

She whirled around again, mouth agape.

"Something wrong, Ms. Beckett?"

She shut her mouth and frowned, looking back toward the door again. "No, sorry, I…" _I killed that man_. "I thought I recognized him."

"You might have." Bracken stepped aside, extending his arm for Kate to enter his office before shutting the door. Her instincts were on high alert the second the door latched shut. "That was Dick Coonan. His brother Jack was a lifelong criminal, but he's got a shot at a new life, sine he helped take down an international heroin smuggling ring."

Bracken crossed to the mini bar in the far corner of his office, pouring himself a glass of scotch. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Ms. Beckett?" He raised the bottle with a questioning glance; Kate shook her head. "I would imagine the mood's quite festive right now."

"Yeah." She couldn't think to say anything else. What _could_ she say, standing in the presence of the man who had her mother killed, only her mother had just defeated him in a contentious Senate race.

Bracken downed his scotch, hissing at the burn slithering down his throat. He frowned slightly, cocking his head to the side. "Is everything alright, Ms. Beckett?"

She glared at him, her face hooded by locks of her hair. She took a deep breath, more for personal courage than anything, taking a few steps toward him. She could see him getting more confused with each passing moment, and she folded her arms over her chest before leaning in.

"I don't know how you're doing it." She tried to sound menacing, even as her voice shook. "But I know you're behind this."

Bracken couldn't help but laugh, looking at Kate like she was from another planet. He took a couple steps back before going to pour himself another glass, keeping a close eye on Kate as he did so.

"Ms. Beckett." She sighed, swirling the amber liquid around in his glass. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me!" She gritted her teeth, and though she realized she probably looked about 17 different kinds of insane right now, she didn't care. She was lost, confused, heartbroken, and desperate…and willing to do whatever it took to get back to her life, back to _her_ Castle.

She sighed, straightening her blazer again. "You don't remember? About four, five months ago, when I arrested you? Right there, in front of all those cameras…"

Bracken downed his drink in one gulp, the confusion on his face morphing into anger as he brushed past her and locked the door. He crossed back over to his desk, never breaking his gaze off of Kate, picking up the receiver on his phone. "Naomi? Hold my calls."

Hanging up, he sighed and placed his elbows on his desk.

"Katherine." She shuddered at how her proper name sounded coming from his mouth. "You're not making a bit of sense."

Of course she wasn't. She knew she wasn't. Kate paced back and forth, arms folded over her chest. She purposefully avoided Bracken's gaze, chewing on her lower lip. This was so unlike her, in so many ways. But what else was she to do?

"Lost" was the polite term for how she felt at the moment. It had been one thing for her fiancé to disappear on their wedding day, only to show up two months later with no memory of anything that had happened in the interim. They were working their way back from that, better than she had expected.

But this? Faced with a world in which Richard Castle didn't know who she was, and everything of consequence in her life was different? Yeah, she was being unlike herself. That was probably the only hope she had of finding her way back.

If there was any hope at all.

"Dick Coonan stabbed my mother to death!" Her outburst scared Bracken back against his seat, eyes wide as saucers. For the first time, Kate noticed there was no scar near his left eye. Her jaw clenched, and she leaned over the desk to jab a finger against his chest. "Because _you_ hired him to!"

"_What?!_" He bolted from his chair, hands clenched into fists. Kate recoiled, fear mixing with the anger in her eyes as she straightened. "Ms. Beckett, I don't know what your problem is, but I'm about five seconds away from calling the psych ward!"

He was probably going to make that call no matter what, so why not press on?

"I am a homicide cop with the NYPD!" She grabbed Bracken by the lapels of his suit, backing him up against the wall. "I put you away for murder! John Raglan…Gary McCallister…Roy Montgomery…_Johanna Beckett_!" He tried to break free, but Kate tightened her grip. "I am engaged to be married!" Tears threatened to fall, but she bit them back. "I'm supposed to be Richard Castle's wife!"

She let go after the last outburst, stumbling back. Bracken straightened his jacket with a sigh, looking at Kate with a mixture of anger, pity, and confusion. Whatever her delusions, they seemed plenty real to hear.

"Richard Castle?" Bracken shook his head. "The novelist?"

When Kate nodded, visibly shaking, Bracken shook his head again and crossed back to his desk, retrieving a file from one of the drawers. He slapped the folder onto his desk, opening it. "Let me tell you about Richard Castle." He flipped through pages of the file. "Countless drunk and disorderlies…a couple B and E's…disturbing the peace…public intoxication…indecent exposure…this really the sort of man you wanna be marrying?"

Kate flashed a look of fear and confusion.

Bracken softened a bit. "What would Johanna think, hm?"

Kate reached across the desk with gritted teeth, grabbing Bracken by his lapels again. She growled in his face before he had a chance to break himself free. "You don't get to say her name!"

"Look…" It was all Bracken could do not to succumb to his own anger. "I don't know what _the hell_ is going on with you, or where this…misplaced suspicion comes from. But you need to get out of here, you need to go home, and we need to forget this ever happened. How would it look if the newly-elected Senator's daughter – an _assistant DA_ – was found out to have accosted and accused her former opponent of such horrible, unbelievable things?"

He was right. Of course he was right. None of those things _happened_. Not in _this_ world, anyway. Her confusion was only deepening, and it was threatening to swallow her whole. She shook her head before unlocking the door to Bracken's office, stepping through it, and leaving without another word.

Casting a glare at Naomi on her way out, Kate stuffed her hands in her pockets as she walked purposefully down the sidewalk. She could only think of one place to go, the only place in this godforsaken planet still had even a hint of familiarity to it.

The confrontation with Bracken couldn't have gone worse, short of her being led out of his office in handcuffs or a straitjacket. Options were short.

But she still had one idea left.


	5. Chapter 5: Mind-Boggling

Kate Beckett hadn't expected to sleep that night, her first in this nightmare of a world where her fiancé didn't know who she was, the man who killed her mother was still alive, and seemingly everyone she knew looked at her like she was off her rocker.

But she _was_ off her rocker, wasn't she?

Kate played through the previous night's encounter with William Bracken in her head, over and over again. Short of arrest or being thrown into a padded room, that couldn't have gone any worse. She let her desperation and confusion get the best of her, and Kate cursed herself for it – after all, she'd built a career on being in control.

Once the sun peeked through her window, Kate slipped out of bed. The prospect of getting her own coffee tugged at her heart, and Kate mindlessly fiddled with the ring on her left hand as she crossed to the closet.

Even as she pulled a gray hoodie out of her closet – it read Stanford, not NYPD – Kate's mind raced. Today was as good a day as any to give her last idea a try, because a direct assault, for lack of a better word, hadn't worked.

This Richard Castle might not be _her_ Richard Castle, but Kate hoped the two were similar enough that she could entice him to help by appealing to his love for the story.

Then she remembers – her mother's dinner that night with the Chamber of Commerce…after her lunch with the man Kate was _convinced_ had her killed. As someone who always thrived on logic, dedicated to finding a practical explanation for everything, Kate was beside herself with…confusion wasn't quite strong enough a word.

Overnight, she caught herself wondering, on more than one occasion, what was real and what wasn't.

Kate placed her mother's ring on top of the hoodie sitting on her bed, sighing before she padded over to the bathroom to take a shower. Turning on the water, and testing to make sure it was warm enough, she sighed.

Castle _had_ to help. She wouldn't know what to do if he couldn't.

* * *

><p>Even before she knocked on the door to Castle's loft, Kate could smell bacon. She sighed wistfully, her hand about to knock on the door faltering. He was cooking breakfast. Without her. Kate stopped, took in a deep breath, and rapped her knuckles against the door.<p>

Kate thought about knocking again, but before she could, the door swung open. A smiling blonde, probably no older than Alexis, stood on the other side, her messy hair up in a bun, an oversized t-shirt hanging off her right shoulder.

"Hi!"

Kate blinked, taken aback. "Uh…hi." She leaned forward. "Is Castle home?"

"Sure." The young woman's smile was far too bright for this early hour. She motioned for Kate to come in before closing the door behind her. Kate still couldn't get used to how different the loft was from what she remembered, and she felt that tug on her chest again.

"You've got a visitor, Mr. C!"

Kate turned to the kitchen, just in time to see Castle scrambling some eggs. He looked up with a sideways grin, before something flashed in his eyes – Recognition? Confusion? – when he laid eyes on Kate.

"Ms. Beckett." Kate couldn't help but smile at his tone. Castle set down his utensil, wiping his hands off with a towel. "Ashley, could you take over for me? Alexis should be down soon."

Ashley picked up on the egg-scrambling, and Kate saw the look in her eyes when Castle mentioned his daughter's name. She arched a brow with a sideways grin before following the man she was still convinced was her fiancé into his office.

Kate laughed and shook her head as the door shut.

Castle furrowed his brow. "What's so funny?"

Kate shook her head, trying to get the grin off of her face and failing. "Nothing, it's just…" Now the smile disappeared. "In my world…" Boy, that sounded insane. "…Ashley was a boy."

Castle nodded, his eyes focusing on the ring on her finger. He forced himself to tear his gaze away from Kate's hand, focusing instead on how she had her hair done up in a ponytail this morning, the way her hoodie hung off her shoulders.

There was that feeling again. Not really familiarity, but…he didn't know what this was.

"How ya doin'?" He walked behind his des, grabbing a small remote. The giant flatscreen in the corner was exactly where she remembered it. Kate had to smile, thankful for _something_ familiar, as small as it was.

She hunched her shoulders. "Losing my mind." She approached the desk. "Needing answers."

Castle's brows arched. "And you think I have them."

"Just…" Kate wanted to reach out for his hand, but had to restrain herself. She gave him a meaningful look, full of love and hope and need. "Hear me out."

Castle nodded.

"The Richard Castle I know…" She swallowed. _The Richard Castle I _love… "…he lived for the story. He had to know what happened, when it happened, why it happened…everything. The Richard Castle I know loved his crazy theories and jumped to all sorts of insane conclusions, even if I was busy looking for 'normal' ones."

Before he could answer, Kate crossed around the desk to him, grabbing his hand on instinct. She cringed and let go of his hand, noticing that he hadn't tried to pull away.

"I need one of those crazy theories." She swallowed again. "More than ever."

He saw the desperation in her green eyes, a sideways grin tickling the edge of his mouth. "Well, I won't lie…this whole alternate universe thing is _fascinating_." His smile grew. "And the Kate Beckett you describe sounds like a great person. I almost hope it's all true. That way, there's a reality where I'm better off than I am now."

Kate frowned at that. "Meaning…?"

"Vampires aren't my thing," he shrugged. "I mean, I don't know what _my thing_ is, but I know that's not it. And the whole…playboy thing? That was great 10 years ago. But my daugher's in college now, engaged to be married, and my mother's eligible for Medicare."

Castle shook his head. "Everyone assumes cause I've got big bank account and a fancy loft in SoHo that I'm happy." He looked down at the remote in his hand. "They have no idea…"

Kate's heart broke all over again, but not for herself this time. She tentatively took Castle's hand into her own again, emboldened by the fact that, once again, he didn't stop her or pull away. She gave his hand a light squeeze, and Castle looked at her.

"Your _thing_…" Kate couldn't hide her sophomoric grin. "…is a savvy, sexy character named Nikki Heat. Your _thing_ is on my left hand." She gave him a meaningful look, and even in the dim room, she could see the exhaustion in his eyes. "I wish I could prove all of this."

Pressing a button, Castle nodded. "Look at this."

Turning her attention to the flatscreen, Kate's heart caught in her throat when she saw a photo of herself on the center of the screen. She was wearing a gray pantsuit, flanked on either side by the U.S. flag and the New York flag. Assorted notes flanked the photo on either side, and Kate couldn't fight off the smile.

Even in this reality, Richard Castle was checking up on her.

"Katherine Houghton Beckett." He set the remote on the desk. "Assistant District Attorney or New York City homicide detective?" He tapped the screen, and the notes on the left side of the screen grew larger.

"I jotted down everything you told me about yesterday. How your mother had been killed by a man named Dick Coonan, that Coonan had been hired by William Bracken…a conspiracy that included three cops named Raglan, McCallister, and Montgomery." He paused, giving Kate a meaningful look. "Forgive me for saying so, Ms. Beckett, but this would make a fantastic novel."

She smiled despite herself with a nod.

"I looked up the other names you mentioned. There is no record of a Javier Esposito; my guess is, either he doesn't exist or he's involved in something where people have to think he doesn't exist."

Kate nodded. "Covert military ops?"

Castle shrugged. "Possibly. Now…Victoria Gates is police commissioner. She took over three years ago after Roy Montgomery retired."

Kate felt another tug on her heart. Montgomery got that retirement Evelyn wanted after all. She blinked back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She had to admit, a world where Montgomery and her mother were still alive held a certain appeal. But the fact that she and Richard Castle were strangers negated that.

"You must think I'm nuts." She shook her head.

This time, Castle grabbed Kate's hand, and she shot a hopeful glance at him. Her pulse quickened, the familiar feel of his fingers intertwining with hers filling her with all manner of thoughts and memories…thoughts and memories the man standing before her didn't share.

"I think…" He paused. "I think _you_ believe this isn't your world. It's real to you. I can see it in your eyes. The familiarity, the remorse, the hurt…Ms. Beckett, I hope you didn't come here today thinking I'd have an answer, because I don't." He squeezed her hand. "But if I can help you figure it out, I'd like to try."

Kate smiled probably the first truly genuine smile since this ordeal began, squeezing Castle's hand in return before they released their grip on each other. He smiled back at her, the sparkle in his blue eyes sending another pang through her.

"You have a wonderful smile, Ms. Beckett."

She blushed and averted her gaze. "You can, uh…you can call me Kate."

"Kate." He smiled again and nodded. "Now…" He led Kate to a nearby sofa, and they both sank into it. "Tell me about us."


	6. Chapter 6: Reacquainting

_**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for following along and reviewing this story! I'm having a blast writing it so far, and I'm just as eager to see where this goes as the rest of you. Keep reading, and remember...reviews are love!**_

* * *

><p>Tears filled Richard Castle's eyes, the enormity of what Kate Beckett was telling him hitting close to home. He stared at nothing in particular, trying not to let the woman sitting next to him see his hands shaking.<p>

It was all so surreal, and yet…it felt genuine. He was so sure that he'd never met Kate before the previous day, when she showed up at his door and confused and demanding to know what her long-dead mother was doing on the cover of _The New York Times_. He forced himself to look at her, hoping she didn't think less of him because of the tears.

"You called me remarkable." Kate's voice caught when she saw the look on his face. "And maddening…and challenging…and frustrating." She sighed, looking down at her hands, which were cradled in her lap. "You walked out and…I thought that was it. I thought we were over."

Castle sucked in a deep breath, resisting the urge to grab one of her hands. "But…we weren't."

"No." She shook her head and smiled, despite the tears that were threatening to fall down her cheeks. "I found the guy who shot me, we fought, he…threw me off the roof." She leaned her head against the back of the couch, unable to tear her eyes from the man sitting next to her. "Ryan saved me." _And now he's dead…_

"That's when I decided I'd been wrong all along. That's when I came to you."

A tired smile crossed Castle's face, his stubble more noticeable against the harsh light coming from his window. "And the rest is history…?"

"More or less." She showed him the ring again. "You proposed to me after not quite a year together, just before I left to take a job in D.C." She saw Castle frown at that, and once again, she felt guilty over having not told him about the interview beforehand. "It didn't last long…the job, I mean. I was back in New York after a few months."

"And then we got married." He knew they hadn't, even as he said it…mostly because there was only one ring on her finger.

Kate cringed and shook her head. "The day we were going to…you got kidnapped."

Castle laughed in disbelief. "This world of yours doesn't sound very kind to us."

"But that's what makes us work, Castle." She sat up straighter, taking his left hand into both of hers, not even realizing her thumbs were working soft circles on his skin. He looked down at their hands, but didn't move.

"Everything that's been thrown at us, everything that's gotten in our way and…" She sighed, giving his hands a squeeze. She knew he didn't know who she was, and he probably didn't believe her. But he was hearing her out, he wasn't withdrawing from her, and considering the past 24 hours…she called that a win.

It was _something_.

Maybe this would be another example of that – just another instance of life or the universe or _whatever_ trying to get in the way, only to have them persevere and be stronger than ever before. It didn't seem that way now, but hey…they survived a nuclear bomb scare and a sniper, so why not?

Kate watched as a couple tears fell from Castle's eyes, acting on pure instinct as she closed what little distance there was between them and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She pressed her head against his, listening to his soft sniffles and giving him a squeeze.

"I'm so sorry, Castle," she whispered. "I'm so sorry…"

"For what, Kate?" His voice cracked.

"For dumping all of this on you." She squeezed him again. "For sounding like wacko crazy lady."

"Hey." He slowly pulled out of Kate's embrace, giving her a tired smile as another tear fell down his cheek. She wiped it away with her thumb. "You want wacko crazy, let me call Meredith."

Kate laughed in spite of herself; Meredith and Gina – two more pillars of familiarity in a world where there was anything but. She wondered just how different they were in this world, but their names, and the fact that they were both married to Castle at some point, Kate saw that as something _normal_.

"You said…" He paused, his brow furrowing. "You said you were shot?" His eyes glanced at the picture of Assistant DA Kate Beckett on the flatscreen. "I don't see any—"

Kate pulled off her hoodie without a second thought, silently relishing in the fact that even here, even in this reality, she could still render Richard Castle speechless. She tossed the hoodie to the floor before straightening her shoulders and grabbing his left wrist. Kate guided his hand to her chest, pressing his middle two fingers against the scar in the valley between her breasts.

They both tried to ignore the fact that his other fingers were touching her in more sensitive areas.

Castle swallowed hard, his fingers pressed against the darkened and raised part of her skin. This was by far the most unique circumstance in his life of a woman taking off her clothes in his office. His eyes met hers, a darkness in them before he slowly pulled his hand away and studied the scar.

"Okay…" He swallowed again, interlocking his fingers with Kate's. "How did you survive?"

"Got help early." She shrugged. "Great surgeons. Luck." Kate started at their hands, chewing on her lower lip. "You tried to save me, you know. You saw something in the distance and tried to jump in front of me while I was giving Montgomery's eulogy."

Tears fell from her eyes this time. "That was the first time you told me you loved me."

It was a strange sight, watching Richard Castle cry. Kate couldn't think of a time where she'd really seen it – anything more than watery eyes or a tear or two falling. That was all she'd seen when Alexis had been kidnapped, and she remembered him being on the verge of tears the night he told her he was done, but this was the first time she ever saw him full-on crying.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and Kate rested her head against him. They cried together for a few otherwise silent moments, before Kate wiped her face dry and sat up again. She sniffled once more, shaking her head.

"You…" She swallowed. "You believe me, right?"

Castle nodded, wiping at his own eyes. "Don't ask me how I do, but…yeah."

Truth was, something had told him to believe her from the beginning. He didn't know if it was intuition of some sort, or if it was dissatisfaction with his own life that had propelled him to listen to this woman, or what. But whatever lingering doubts he still had were washed away when he saw the scar.

"The scar." Another sad smile. She hated seeing that weariness in his eyes. "Unless you're also a Hollywood-caliber makeup artist, you can't fake something like that."

Kate pressed her forehead against Castle's shoulder, both of her hands grabbing his. She finally had something resembling hope in this strange new reality, and even though she was never one to believe in fate or destiny, the fact that they still found each other, still connected in a world where _everything_ had changed made her re-think that.

"Thank you, Rick…"

"Hey." He squeezed her hand again. "We'll solve this mystery, alright?"

Kate burst into laughter, even as her eyes filled with tears again. She waved her hand dismissively when Castle gave her a funny look, shaking her head. "Oh, nothing, it's just…years ago, before we got together, we were in LA…and you told me that when you first met me, you thought I was a mystery you were never gonna solve."

Castle gave a nod of understanding and rueful smile. "Looks like I get another crack at it."

They stared at the flatscreen for several minutes, and Castle ignored the phone as it rang. He knew who it was, having realized midway through his conversation with Kate that he'd forgotten about his TV interview that morning – also realizing that he didn't really care.

"I need to go see my mom." Her voice was almost a whisper.

Castle leaned down and placed a soft, tentative kiss on the top of her head. "You want some company?"

"No." She reached for her hoodie and sat up again, pulling the garment back on over her head. "No, I…I appreciate it, but I think this is one of those things I have to do myself."

Castle nodded and stood, opening the door to his office for her. "You're free to join us for dinner tonight, if you'd like."

Kate gave a soft smile, cupping her hand over his cheek. The stubble felt good against her palm, but memory flashed in her brain of the sensation of that stubble in certain…other places, and she felt her cheeks burn.

"I'd like that."

She leaned forward and placed a soft, tentative kiss on his lips, beyond relieved when he reciprocated. She broke the kiss and looked into his eyes, which were as intense as ever, stark in just how blue they were, and still clouded with tears.

"Hey…" She whispered. "It'll be okay. Alright?"

Castle nodded and she smiled before crossing the living room and leaving the loft. He sniffled and walked to the kitchen, eager to join the rest of his family for a breakfast he'd long ago forgotten about…only to find Alexis sitting by the bar, her black hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"Dad?" Her expression hardened when she saw the tears in Castle's eyes. "What's going on?"

Castle heaved an exhausted sigh, pouring himself a mug of coffee. "I don't know." He sat next to his daughter, taking a sip. "But I think Ms. Beckett might be telling the truth."

Furrowing her brow, Alexis leaned over. Pressing her nose against Castle's shoulder, she sniffed before pulling back and looking at her father with arched brows. "You smell like cherries."

Even he couldn't help but smile at that.


	7. Chapter 7: Reunion

Kate Beckett was scared to death.

How on earth was she supposed to see her mother without bursting into hysterics? Johanna Beckett, who had shaped Kate in so many ways in life and in death, was alive and well – thriving even – and Kate still wore her ring around her neck as tribute. Kate stood outside her mother's campaign office in Manhattan, heart thumping loudly in her chest.

How was she going to keep it together? Here, just outside the office, she could already feel the tears threatening to build. Her stomach churned with equal parts anticipation and dread. She wanted this to go better than the previous night's encounter with her father – and if no one ever mentioned her run-in with William Bracken again, it would be too soon.

Kate briefly rued not letting Richard Castle accompany her. She was right when she said she had to do this herself, but the fact of the matter was, she felt so much more comfortable with him by her side.

That seemed to be true no matter what world she lived in.

Taking a deep breath, Kate decided it was time to quit stalling. She strode into Johanna's office, hoping to convey more confidence and purpose than she actually felt. All of that went away, though, when she laid eyes on her mother for the first time.

There was Johanna, sitting at her desk, right hand furiously jotting something down on paper. Kate recognized the line in her mother's forehead, the same one she always got when she was deep in concentration.

For a moment, Kate considered turning back. She wasn't ready for this. She didn't trust herself to hold together long enough to get through this reunion – this one-sided reunion, since as far as Johanna was concerned, everything was normal.

She couldn't do this. Not now. Not here.

_No_.

Kate couldn't flee. Not now. Not with Johanna right in front of her. And if Kate ran away now, what would stop her from running away in the future? If she was to be stuck in this reality – if she really was never going to make it back – she had to accept the fact that her mother was still very much alive.

Which seemed like such a strange thing to think.

She knocked on the door lightly, offering the best fake smile she could. "Hey, mom."

Johanna looked up from her paperwork, the line in her forehead disappearing as a broad smile crept onto her face and she emerged from behind her desk. "Katie!" She opened her arms to her daughter, and Kate sank herself into her mother on instinct, closing her eyes when Johanna's arms closed around her shoulders.

"I'm so glad you stopped by. I've barely had a moment to myself since the election."

Kate squeezed her arms around her mother, trying desperately not to shake. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep the tears at bay. Kate let herself be overwhelmed by the familiar, the long-distant memories rushing back to the present, accentuated by the faint scent of lilac.

Truth be told, Kate wanted to stay like this forever.

Screw answers. Johanna Beckett was really, truly alive. Kate didn't care how or why.

Johanna slowly pulled out of the hug, her hands on Kate's shoulders. "Katie, are you alright?"

"Yeah." She fake-smiled again, sliding her hands into her pockets. She made sure to take off the engagement ring this time, and it sat in her left pocket. She expected whatever conversation she had with her mother to be awkward – questions of a mysterious fiancé would only add to it.

"I just…" Kate shrugged. "The last couple days have been kind of overwhelming."

"Tell me about it, kid." Johanna gave Kate's shoulder a squeeze.

Kate's brow furrowed. "Dad says you're having lunch with Bracken later today."

"Yeah." Johanna gave a dismissive wave. "Kind of shocked, to be honest. I didn't think he'd have the stones to put the defeat behind him so quickly. I figured as rough as the campaign was, he'd be bitter about it all."

"Maybe he's playing an angle." Kate's response was automatic; she'd momentarily forgotten she wasn't dealing with the same William Bracken she had led away in handcuffs months ago.

Johanna frowned. "Katie, when did you get so cynical?"

_When you were killed in an alley and it took me almost 15 years to figure out who did it._

"Mom…" Kate swallowed, trying to keep the edge and the worry off her face. "I've been thinking a lot, since the election and, um…" She shook her head. "Just reminiscing, really. I was wondering…whatever happened to Joe Pulgatti?"

_Please let that be one of the things that's the same…_

"What?" Johanna blinked. "Katie, who's Joe Pulgatti?"

Kate cocked her head to the side. "Didn't you work a case once involving a mob enforcer who was framed for the murder of an undercover FBI agent?"

Johanna shook her head. "No, Katie, I never did anything like that. Where did you hear that?"

Kate laughed, a bit forced, to hide her anxiety and disappointment. "Nothing. Just…been reading too many mystery novels, I guess."

Kate was disappointed to know Joe Pulgatti and the case revolving around Bob Armen hadn't happened in this reality, though she wasn't sure why – since her involvement in Pulgatti's case was what got Johanna killed.

Seeing as how Johanna was standing right there…it stood to reason she wouldn't recognize Pulgatti.

Still, Kate felt the emotion threatening to overwhelm her. She swallowed and blinked back the tears. She would break down later, either by herself or in the presence of the only person who knew of her predicament and didn't think her insane. Just…not here.

Johanna looked exactly how Kate remembered, save a couple more gray hairs and a few more lines on her face. But the look in her eyes, her mannerisms, they were all hers. There was no question this woman was Kate's mother, through and through, and Kate barely resisted the urge to run up to her and hug her again.

For the first time since this ordeal started, Kate wondered if maybe being stuck in this reality wasn't so bad.

No, of course it was bad. She had a fiancé to get back to, a life to live…a marriage that she'd been putting off. That suddenly felt like a foolish thing to do; it felt so right when he had asked after his trip to Montreal. He was seeking to apply a band aid to a wound that required stitches. She'd been right to slow things down.

Hadn't she?

After this, she wasn't so sure.

Having her mother standing across from her wasn't helping matters. Kate briefly wondered if she could have both; if she could live in a world in which Johanna was still alive _and_ she could marry Richard Castle. They seemed to be connecting in this reality, but Kate knew it would pale in comparison to what she had with the _real_ Richard Castle – in large part because of all they had endured.

Much of that a result of Johanna's murder.

"You coming to the dinner tonight, Katie?"

Her mother's question almost hadn't registered. Kate snapped out of her trance and shook her head, giving Johanna a small grimace. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot all about that." Kate looked down at her feet. "I kind of…have a date."

Johanna's expression brightened and she laughed. "You have a date?" She shook her head when Kate shot her a confused glare. "I'm sorry, it's just…you practically live in your office, Katie. Where did you find time to meet someone to date?"

"It's recent." Kate swallowed. She decided to keep the identity of her date a secret in light of her confrontation with Bracken the night before. She didn't want Johanna to know she was having dinner with someone who had that kind of file.

It was stupid, she knew, but still.

Johanna gave a knowing smile. "Well, I won't pry. I know you'll tell me when you're good and ready." She glanced down at her watch and cringed. "I really hate to cut this short, kid…" She grabbed her purse and breezed past Kate. "…but it seems I'm late for lunch."

Kate watched her go, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Mom?"

Johanna stopped at her doorway. "Yes, dear?"

Kate closed the distance between them again, wrapping her arms tightly around Johanna and burying her face in her mother's shoulder. She squeezed her eyes shut again, her entire body tense as Johanna's arms wrapped around her again.

"Are you sure you're alright, Katie?"

Kate nodded against her mother's shoulder before reluctantly breaking the hug. "Yeah." She smiled. "Yeah. Just…I love you, mom."

"I love you, too, Katie."

Johanna turned and left the office, and Kate managed to hold it together until she watched her mother cross the street and disappear around the corner. As soon as Johanna was out of sight, Kate leaned against the doorway and began to cry. Her right hand clutched at the chain around her neck, tears streaming down her face.

Whereas the morning had brought Kate comfort and clarity, now she was as lost and confused as ever.


	8. Chapter 8: Under Seige

_Somewhere in Afghanistan…_

Truth be told, Javier Esposito had no idea where he was. He knew what country he was in, he knew he was strapped with the finest, deadliest weaponry Uncle Sam's money could buy, he knew what he and his band of Army Special Forces had to do.

He also knew, success or failure, anonymity would be his future.

The rapid _prat prat prrr-rrr-prr-prr-pratt-prat-prat_ of gunfire filled the dry, hell-like air. Esposito couldn't tell where his side's fire ended and the enemy's fire began. He pressed his back against a nearby boulder, a death grip on his semi-automatic. None of his platoon mates were visible from where he was stationed.

"Gomez!" Esposito struggled to hear anything other than gunfire. "Gomez, do you hear me?!"

Gunfire. Nothing but gunfire.

Esposito peeked over the edge of the boulder just in time to see a pair of rebel insurgents approaching, weapons at the ready. He went into full-blown hiding again, taking a deep breath before closing his eyes and muttering a prayer to himself.

"Bro, where you at?!" He called out, his voice drowned out by an explosion.

He peeked again. One of the rebels pulled a grenade from a dirty pouch on his hip, pulling the pin with his teeth before chucking the weapon over his shoulder. Another explosion rocked the dessert, the ground shaking under Esposito's boots.

This was wrong. This wasn't how the mission was supposed to go.

Again, Esposito hid, and again, he muttered a prayer. He glanced skyward, inhaling sharply before tightening his grip on his weapon and barreling toward the insurgents, screaming at the top of his lungs and pressing his left index finger against the trigger.

* * *

><p>Kate Beckett's knock on Richard Castle's door had been so weak, she thought he hadn't heard it. So she knocked again, forcing her knuckles to rap loudly against the wood, before the door swinging open startled her.<p>

Castle smiled upon seeing Kate, but that smile instantly disappeared when he saw her red eyes, puffy cheeks, and the way her arms were cradled over herself. He glanced down the hall before gently pressing a hand to her back to lead her inside.

"Kate." His voice was soft. "What's wrong?"

She stopped in front of the door after Castle shut it, her eyes dancing around the loft. As if sensing her mind, he stopped and gave Kate's shoulder a squeeze. "Martha and Alexis are making a last-minute grocery run."

Silently thankful for the relative privacy – for the moment, anyway – Kate closed the distance between herself and Castle, wrapping her arms around his back and burrowing her face into his shoulder. He squeezed and she closed her eyes.

"That bad, huh?" His voice was now but a whisper.

She nodded and sniffled before pulling just far enough back from Castle that she could look up into his eyes. As blue as ever, they didn't quite hold the love she'd grown accustomed to, but the concern, the worry, were genuine, and she could see flashes of something else. She wasn't sure what, but she latched onto it.

"She's just like I remember, Castle." Kate sniffled and brushed her thumb under her eyes. "As upbeat as ever, still fighting the good fight…" She shook her head. She could still hear Johanna calling her Katie, and something tugged at her heart every time.

"For a moment…" She swallowed, almost stopping herself. But if she was going to find relief from this dilemma, one way or another, she had to be perfectly honest – both with herself and with the man who promised to help her, even though he never had to.

"For a moment, I wondered what it would be like if I just…stayed."

Castle nodded and led her to the kitchen, where he poured them both a glass of red wine. He understood what she meant; she'd lived with her mother's murder for so long, carried that burden even after finally solving the case…of course the thought of living in a world in which she was still alive was enticing.

Richard Castle would never begrudge Kate Beckett that fantasy, no matter the realm.

"I just…" She took a sip of wine, almost as if she needed the dose of courage. "I know it sounds horrible, that I would rather live in a world where my mom's alive than to return to the love of my life…"

"It's not horrible," Castle interrupted with a sympathetic smile. "It's completely understandable." She opened her mouth to protest, but Castle pressed on. "And I guarantee the other me would agree."

Kate stared at her hands, her voice barely audible. "I…I kinda want both."

"Your mom, the Senator, _and_ your strapping, ruggedly handsome fiancé?" He smiled and sipped at his wine. "I'd want to have my proverbial cake and eat it too…" He frowned a little. "…Too."

Kate chuckled at that, running a hand over the back of her neck as a soft smile crept along her mouth. His smile grew in return and he pointed. "There's what I wanted to see."

She felt her cheeks go red, buying herself some more time with another sip of wine. She pushed the glass aside, deciding she didn't want to fill up too much on alcohol before the food was ready. Kate reached across the counter, grabbing Castle's free hand.

They exchanged a look, meaningful in so many different ways. Her thumb brushed over the skin of his hand, and he returned the favor. The wine was long forgotten, and for the briefest of moments, Kate wondered what would happen if she tried to lead him to the bedroom.

_No. Just…no! You can't do that._

Such a move would've been the definition of desperate, and yet Kate had a hard time talking herself out of it. She finally relented upon realizing that Castle would probably not go along with it…and for all the right reasons.

"Castle…"

"Kate…"

She smiled up at him. She really did like the way her name sounded coming out of his mouth. It didn't matter what reality they were in, the sound of Castle saying "Kate" sent a shiver down her spine and butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

He grabbed her hand again and squeezed. "I will do whatever you want…even if that's nothing at all."

Her fingers intertwined with his, and Kate was again struck by how _right_ this felt, despite the fact that this Richard Castle was not the Richard Castle who had given her that ring. But he was still Castle, and she knew deep down all along that he would be receptive to her, no matter how crazy everything sounded.

Considering some of his theories over the years, it only stood to reason. "I don't want nothing." She nodded once to affirm her honesty. "I just want you.

"Whatever that ends up meaning."


	9. Chapter 9: Dazed and Confused

_Elsewhere…_

Sleep faded gradually, and then, all at once.

Kate Beckett's eyes flew open and she bolted upright. The sheets surrounding her felt far more comfortable than anything she was used to, and as her eyes darted around to take in their surroundings, the crease in her forehead deepened.

She rubbed her eyes and rapidly blinked, frowning when she realized she had no idea where she was. A soft robe sat on a chair to her left, and Kate realized she didn't recognize the bedroom. Panic threatened to overwhelm Kate as she slowly crept out of the bed, grabbing the robe and instantly marveled at how soft it was.

Wherever she was, no expenses were spared.

Faint sounds of domestics caught her attention, and despite her better judgment, she wandered out of the bedroom, cutting through an ornate office and pausing just long enough to study the bookshelves. All manner of books were on display, most notably an entire row that was nothing but Richard Castle novels.

Her frown deepened. Some of the titles looked familiar, but others? The newer ones, playing on the theme of heat? She'd never heard of those books.

Peeling herself from the bookshelves, Kate emerged from the office and crossed into the kitchen – only to stop in her tracks when she saw a man just over six feet tall in a robe that matched hers, working a spatula over a pan full of eggs. Two mugs of coffee sat on the bar.

She saw the man look up, his face instantly brightening.

"Beckett." His blue eyes twinkled when he smiled. "You're up late."

"Uh…yeah." She scrunched her brow, tightening the robe around herself. How the hell did this man know her name? "Busy last few days."

"Murder will do that." The man returned to his eggs, leaving Kate beyond confused. Murder? What the hell was this guy talking about? For that matter, who was this guy? And what was she doing in his – admittedly fantastic – apartment?

Stewing over all of the questions suddenly flooding her mind, Kate grabbed one of the mugs and took a long swig, silently marveling at just how _perfect_ the taste was – almost as if the man still slaving away over the eggs knew exactly how she liked her coffee.

Because that wasn't weird or anything.

Her mind flashed back to the bookshelves. The row of books. An apartment that looked like it cost more in rent than she made in a month. She busied herself with another few sips of coffee, both hands on the mug just so she had _something_ to hold onto.

Wait…was that _Richard Castle_ making breakfast for her? How did she get here?

Her green eyes bounced between their respective robes, another manner of questions springing to mind, questions she didn't even want to acknowledge herself, let alone vocalize.

Kate's eyes danced over a clock before fully realizing that it was after nine in the morning. She panicked and finished off her coffee before standing again. "I…" She shook her head. "I need to go. I'm late. We've got a deposition in 15 minutes, and then I have to have lunch with my mom…"

The man dropped his spatula, ignoring the eggs as he looked at her like she was from another planet. Kate saw his eyes flicker to her left hand before his brow furrowed even deeper, shaking his head.

"Kate…are you okay?"

"No!" she blurted out, looking around in desperate search for her clothes. "Now that you mention it, no I'm not! Where am I?! Who are you?! How the hell did I _get here_? And where the hell are my clothes?!"

The eggs were starting to burn, the smell breaking the tension for a moment as the man turned off the heat and removed the pan from the burner. He regarded Kate again, a mixture of confusion and hurt in his eyes. "Kate…"

"How do you know my name?!"

He flinched and swallowed. "Be…because you're my fiancée…?"

His tone surprisingly cut her a little bit, even though her eyes darted around her surroundings again and she shook her head. "Why would I be engaged to someone I've never met?"

"What are you talking about?" Anger began to seep into his voice. "Kate, we've known each other for six years." He crossed to the other side of the bar, fighting the urge to brush his fingers through her hair – in her current state, touching her was probably a bad idea.

"Kate, what's going on?"

"You tell me!" She jabbed her finger into her chest. "I go to bed last night after studying case files for my upcoming trial, and then next thing I know, I'm waking up in a strange bed with strange sheets and I'm wearing a strange robe and apparently I wound up in the apartment of a world-famous author…"

He couldn't hide the self-satisfied smirk. She eye-rolled and ignored it.

"You know what?" She shook her head. "Let's just pretend I'm still asleep, and this is a really weird dream." Kate turned to leave, before something in the corner of her eye stopped her in her tracks. There was a pile of clothes on the floor near the sofa, feminine clothes. She kneeled to examine them; they certainly looked like clothes she would wear.

But her heart skipped a beat when she moved the jeans aside and saw an NYPD badge and police-issue handgun in-holster. She swallowed back the lump in her throat before grabbing them and turning back to the man.

"What the hell are these?!"

"What?" His face was the very definition of confusion. "Kate, those are yours."

"No." She shook her head, tossing the implements onto the bar. "Try again, Mr. Castle."

He sighed, rubbing his temples before resting his elbows on the bar. "Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD 12th Precinct, Homicide. Badge number 41319."

Her eyes studied the badge. That was the number, alright.

"Nooo…" She shook her head again, pointing at herself. "Kate Beckett, Assistant District Attorney. Daughter of U.S. Senate candidate Johanna Beckett, who – by the way – I'm supposed to have lunch with in three hours."

Castle jumped back with a start. What was that in his eyes? Fear? Sorrow? Even more confusion? Kate thought about asking, pushing the issue, but truth be told, she had neither the patience nor the inclination to indulge this man any further. Confiscating the badge and gun, she grabbed her clothes.

"You'll hear from my office later regarding how you came into possession of an NYPD badge and weapon." Her voice was authoritative, much like he'd remembered from the countless interrogations over the years. "Until then, _Mr. Castle_, I suggest you contact your lawyer."

She shut the door to Castle's loft before he could say anything. He sighed, having long since ignored his coffee and breakfast. He'd noticed that she wasn't wearing her engagement ring, but more than anything, he was trying to explain her behavior.

The standoffinshness. The treating him like he was a stranger.

Insisting she wasn't a cop. Talking about her mother in the present tense.

For the briefest of moments, Castle allowed himself to consider alternate universes. He immediately dismissed the thought, though, realizing that was pretty far-fetched, even for him. But none of the other potential explanations appealed to him – especially in light of his recent disappearance and the fact that he lost roughly two months of his life.

It didn't matter how many times Kate – _his_ Kate – assured him, he still felt beyond guilty about what happened, about what he had put her through.

He grabbed his phone, flipping through his contacts before selecting one and pressing "Call." The device to his ear, Castle nearly jumped when the call connected after just one ring.

"Hey, Ryan." Castle sighed. "Listen, keep an eye out for Kate. She's acting strange."

A beat.

"Well, she claims to not know who I am, says she's Assistant DA, and…that she's having lunch with her mom today." He shook his head with a shrug. "I tried, but she grabbed her badge and gun and said I better get a lawyer."

Castle dumped his coffee into the sink, sliding the empty mug along the counter with a sigh.

"I don't know. But I've got a bad feeling about this."


	10. Chapter 10: Split Infinitive

_**Author's Note: From this point forward, I will differentiate between the two universes by prefacing scenes taking place in the "canon" universe with "Elsewhere..."**_

* * *

><p>With Richard Castle having traipsed off for a quick shower before dinner, Kate Beckett was left to her own devices in the living room of his spacious – but still disturbingly unfamiliar – loft. Eager to distract herself from that fact, and just the slightest bit nosy, Kate crossed over to the drawer she remembered from the other day, opening it and grinning.<p>

She grabbed the book before padding over to the sofa, letting herself sink into the incredibly soft cushions. She eyed the title with a furrowed brow: _Tainted Blood_. She shook her head, beyond amused, flipping the cover open and thumbing through the first few pages.

No dedication. That was strange.

Then Kate remembered something Kyra Blaine had told her years ago, about how Castle only wrote dedications for those he truly cared for. Kate felt her heart break all over again. This Richard Castle still had Martha and Alexis…could he really be that lonely?

Deciding she'd had enough emotional heaviness for one day, Kate flipped to the first chapter and started reading. It was definitely his writer, his turn of phrase, his way with words. The names were unfamiliar and the subject matter strange, but this was definitely Richard Castle's writing. She couldn't hide the dopey grin on her face as her eyes scanned over the text.

So engrossed in _Tainted Blood¸_ was Kate, that she hadn't noticed Alexis entering the loft until the younger woman crossed over to the sofa and cleared her throat.

Kate yelped with a start, placing the book on the sofa and closing her eyes with a sigh. "Alexis…"

"Hey." Alexis was trying to keep her tone light, but Kate could tell by the look in her eyes and the way her hands rested on her hips that she was, at best, suspicious of Kate. Not that Kate could blame her; she'd be pretty damn suspicious too, were she is Alexis' shoes.

The young woman undid her ponytail, black and purple locks spilling onto her shoulders. "Where's Dad?"

"In the shower." Kate suddenly felt self-conscious as Alexis sat down to her immediate right, regarding Kate with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

"What's going on with you and dad?"

Boy, this Alexis didn't beat around the bush, did she? Kate swallowed, panicking because she really didn't know what to say. What was there to say? The truth? Right, because Alexis would believe that.

Kate shrugged and shook her head. "I'm…not sure." She sighed. "I don't even know what's going on with me right now."

Alexis gave a single nod. "Dad gave me the Cliff's notes version." She fell silent again, chewing on her lower lip with a concentrated scowl. Kate watched her, holding her breath. "I'm not gonna judge one way or another…"

Kate swallowed. She sensed a _but…_ coming.

"But…" And there it was. "I should warn you. My dad is not an easy man to know."

Kate frowned at that, more out of confusion than anything. That certainly had not been her experience over the past couple days. Sure, he wasn't quite as witty as _her_ Castle, and he was definitely more worn-down, but he'd been nothing but receptive to her from the start.

Alexis continued. "He's…withdrawn."

Kate's frown deepened. "I thought you two were close."

"We are." Alexis nodded. "But…ever since he killed off Derrick Storm and completely severed ties with Gina, he's been…I guess going through the motions is the way to put it. I can't remember the last time he had a girlfriend." The black-haired girl shrugged. "Just one-night stand after one-night stand."

Kate nodded. _And you think I'm another one of those…_

"But I saw the look on his face yesterday after you left." Alexis sighed, her eyes full of apprehension and hope. She looked more exhausted than someone her age had any right to be, and Kate felt sorry for her. 'I don't know what or how, but you've awakened something in him."

"And you want to make sure he doesn't get hurt."

"Gram and I can't put him back together again." Alexis shrugged and averted her gaze, and Kate had to suck in a deep breath to keep the tears threatening at bay. Just how broken _was_ this man? Was this what would've become of him had they never met?

A tug of guilt nagged at Kate. She knew he'd been at a crossroads of sorts when they met six years ago, having just offed his meal ticket of a character in search of something new, all while dealing with the fact that someone was re-enacting to fictional murders in real life. Was Kate Beckett flashing her badge at that party really the one thing that brought him out of his funk.

Hearing the shower shutting off, Alexis stood with a sigh. "I don't hate you, Ms. Beckett." Kate cringed at the formality of that. "I'm just…I worry about him."

Kate watched Alexis walk away and head up the stairs before grabbing the book beside her, turning to the back cover and studying Castle's promotional head shot. He was smiling, but it didn't reach his eyes. They were blue, but something had dulled them.

She traced her fingers over his jawline before wiping away another tear.

* * *

><p><em>Elsewhere…<em>

Kate Beckett never made it to her office, her mind too busy racing from question to question. The badge and service piece sitting in the passenger seat of her car kept calling out to her, taunting her. She'd operated under the assumption that Richard Castle had stolen them, somehow, and that he was trying to distract her by saying they were hers.

But as she sat in Manhattan's trademark bumper-to-bumper, the uncertainty latched onto her psyche and would not release its grip. She chewed on her lip before grabbing her iPhone, unlocking it, and pulling up her search engine.

With a sigh, unable to believe she was actually about to do this, Kate punched her name into the search field. She held her breath as the results loaded. A taxi driver three cars ahead blared his horn and screamed in a language Kate didn't recognize, the commotion almost drowning out the gasp escaping her lips when the results popped up on her screen.

_Mystery writer engaged to NYPD cop._

_Meet Kate Beckett: the Inspiration for Nikki Heat._

_Senator Bracken Arrested, Charged with Murder_.

Her heart rate doubled, and Kate's thumb shook as she pressed against the third link. She felt her breath leaving her as she read the details of Bracken's arrest. Two days ago, this man was deadlocked with her mother in a tight Senate race; now, she was reading about how he'd pulled the strings years ago, strings that led to…

No.

Oh, no.

_No!_

Tossing her phone to the back seat, Kate gripped her steering wheel with both hands until her knuckles turned white. She closed her eyes and took in a ragged breath, before peeling her car out of traffic and making a drastic – and quite illegal – u-turn.

Cars honked their displeasure at the move, but Kate didn't care. She traced her route back to the loft she had mysterious woken up in that morning, her steps brisk and full of purpose once she found her parking spot and took the elevator to the right floor.

In her solitude, Kate took inventory of her day so far. She'd woken up in the bed of a man she'd never met before, a man who was famous but had written books she'd never heard of. He talked as if they were intimate, possibly even more than that.

He'd told Kate that she was a detective. That the badge and gun were hers. Google seemed to agree; according to the Internet, they were engaged, she was in fact a cop. According to the Internet, her mother's political opponent had…

She shook her head and closed her eyes. No. That wasn't true.

No way. There had to be an explanation for that. There was no way in hell she had read what she thought she had just read. Someone was either very wrong, or they were playing the world's cruelest prank.

She grabbed her phone, making sure the page she'd been reading earlier was still queued up and loaded. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her knees were wobbly. She had to grab the railing in the elevator to keep herself upright, swallowing back bile when the _ding_ announced that she had reached her floor.

She stepped out of the elevator and walked over to the door, despite her psyche telling her to bolt. This was all some elaborate hoax. Someone was having quite a time, pulling the strings on this to make her think she was losing her mind.

How else to explain reading things that clearly are not true on the website of one of the world's most reputable newspapers?

She pounded her fist on Richard Castle's door, tapping her foot impatiently before the door swung open. Castle stood at the doorway with a blue wash towel over his right shoulder, smiling upon laying eyes on Beckett…until he remembered that morning and his expression soured.

If Kate didn't know any better, she'd swear there was anger in his eyes.

"Beckett." He spat the name more than said it. "Should I call my lawyer now?"

Cueing up her phone again, Kate shoved it in Castle's face so he could see the headline. Her hand shook, her heartbeat had gotten even quicker – as if that were even possible – and Kate felt at any moment she was going to be sick.

But she had to do this. She had to know something.

"Mr. Castle…care to explain this?"


	11. Chapter 11: Rude Awakening

_Elsewhere…_

"No."

Kate Beckett shook her head and pushed herself away from the bar in Richard Castle's kitchen. She didn't care for the newspaper articles, photographs, and notes laid out on the surface of the bar. It was wrong, every last bit of it, and nothing the man staring at her as if she was broken could say was going to change that.

"Kate…"

"No!" She whirled around, startling even herself at how much her voice had raised. She watched Castle flinch and relent, though anger remained in his blue eyes. It unnerved her, more so than anything else she'd endured over the course of the day, and she didn't know why.

"You're wrong." She clenched her jaw, feeling herself shake. "It's…it's all wrong."

"Beckett, what the hell is wrong with you?" Castle crossed over to Kate, reaching out to grab her arm before thinking better of it. He sighed and swallowed hard, cocking his head to the side. She watched his eyes narrow. "You know all of this. You _lived_ all of this. _We_ lived all of this."

Now it was Kate's turn to flinch. What _we_? There was no _we_. She had no idea who this man was, aside from the books he wrote and what she read about him on Page Six. He seemed like a cocky, immature little jackass, but that didn't explain the things she saw in his eyes when he looked at her, or the way she had to look away before having to deal with the fact that those looks arose…_something_ in her.

"William Bracken is an asshole." She tried not to let her voice shake. "He is ruthless. He is reckless. He is impatient. But he is _not_ a murderer, Mr. Castle, and I would appreciate it if you would tell me what the hell is going on."

Castle approached her. "So…what? All that stuff at the bar's made up?" Uncertainty flashed in her eyes, and he pressed on. "You think this is some prank someone's playing on you?"

He shook his head, hearing a knock at the door. Glaring at Kate as he crossed over to the door, Castle opened it before stepping aside to let Detectives Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan step into the loft. Kate's eyes widened when she saw the badges on their hips.

"You called _the cops_ on me?!"

Ryan didn't even try to hide the confusion on his face. "Beckett, we're here to help. We're your friends."

"Mr. Castle, who the hell are these men?"

Disbelief washed over Castle's face, suddenly worn from the stress of the day. He closed the door to his loft and slowly joined the other three in the middle of the living room, sliding his hands into his pockets. "You're joking."

Kate scowled. "Do I look like I'm joking, Mr. Castle?"

The three men exchanged worried, confused glances before Esposito took a step forward, relenting when he saw Kate take a step back. "Come on, Beckett. It's me, Javi. You been workin' with me and Kevin for years."

Kate shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest and backing up from the duo of cops. "No." She shook her head more vigorously, the New York starting to creep into her panicked voice. "You're wrong. I'm not a cop, okay. I'm not a freaking cop!"

All three men flinched at her voice before Ryan opened a manila folder and handed it to Kate. She tentatively took it, staring at the contents with a furrowed brow.

"Detective Kate Beckett, 12th precinct," Ryan recited. "Badge number 41319."

Her eyes went straight to Castle, seeing his shoulders slump and the crease in his forehead throb as he sucked in a ragged breath. She then glanced at the detectives, taken aback by the fact that they looked just as worried as the man who claimed he was her fiancé.

"This…" Her voice caught. "This can't be right. There has to be some explanation."

Esposito and Ryan looked at Castle, who shrugged and shook his head. For once, he was at a loss. The man who made his living by manipulating words and creating fantastical lands of make-believe had nothing to possibly explain why Kate was acting this way.

All he had was confusion. And dread.

She sighed and handed the folder back to Ryan. "Can…can you guys give Mr. Castle and me a moment?"

Esposito and Ryan nodded as Kate and Castle ducked into the latter's office, shutting the door behind them. She leaned back against the door, sighing and running her fingers through her hair. She deliberately avoided looking at the man across from her.

"I went to Stanford," she began. Castle opened his mouth to say something, but she placed a hand in front of him to stop him before he started. "I studied law at NYU. Interned with a legal firm. Slowly worked my way up the proverbial ladder until I was appointed Assistant DA a year and a half ago."

She swallowed, shook her head. "My father works corporate law. My mother…" Kate's lower lip quivered. "My mother is going to be a United States Senator."

Her eyes, hopeful and confused, looked up at Castle. "Right?"

"Kate…"

"_Right?!_"

Kate shrugged out of the hand that reached for her shoulder, shaking her head and crossing the room over to Castle's desk. She rested her palms against the finished wood, drawing a ragged breath and closing her eyes. Breathing was hard. It felt like the walls were closing in on her.

"Kate…"

She squeezed her eyes.

"Kate, look at me."

Reluctantly, she did so, sniffling and trying not to let him see the tears in her eyes. This was overwhelming, true or not, and as much as she didn't want to admit it, the evidence was pretty damn convincing.

"So…" She stared at the floor. "She's dead?"

All Castle could do was nod.

"And…Bracken was behind it?"

Another nod.

She forced herself to look at Castle, a stray tear falling down her cheek. "Was that article true? Did they get the bastard?"

"No, Kate…" She flinched. "_We_ got him. I watched you arrest him."

Kate finally let herself go, her shoulders bobbing up and down as she cried. They were quite, hitches of breath and sniffles, tears falling from her cheeks and onto the floor. Castle closed the distance between them to tuck her into his embrace, as was his nature by this point, but she backed away and placed the desk between them.

"I think…" She sucked in a ragged breath. "I think I need a few moments alone, Mr. Castle."

Castle nodded, secretly hurt that she was still so formal with him. It was clear to him that the woman across from him was Kate Beckett…just not _his_ Kate Beckett. He didn't know what was going on, couldn't even venture a guess at this point. All he knew was that it hurt to see her hurt, to see her so unfamiliar with him and with what they had.

He grabbed for the door before she spoke again.

"Rick." He flinched. "I mean…Mr. Castle."

"Yeah?"

She wiped away a tear and looked at him. "Am I a good cop?"

He gave the woman across from him a sad smile, nodding once. "The best." Castle crossed to the bookshelf, grabbing a book and handing it to her. "You're the reason I wrote this."

Kate frowned and studied the cover. _Heat Wave_.

"You wanna know all about Kate Beckett, the cop?" The sad smile returned, but his eyes were a little more alive than before. As crazy as this all felt to Kate, it was clear that the world Castle claimed to live in was real to him. Her heart hurt for him, despite the circumstances. "Read that."

She flipped open the cover as Castle walked out of his office, losing her breath when she saw the dedication:

_To the extraordinary KB and all my friends at the 12__th__._

Latching the door behind him, Castle crossed over to the sofa where Ryan and Esposito sat. Esposito looked like he was about 17 different kinds of confused, and Ryan had the look of a man who had just made a disturbing revelation.

"Bro…what the hell's going on?"

"I don't know." Castle sighed, looking back at the door to his office. "That's not Kate Beckett. Well, not _our_ Kate Beckett, anyway." He turned back to the cops, sensing that – as confused as they all were – they agreed with him on that mark.

"Yeah." Ryan sighed, looking down at his feet. "I, uh…kinda noticed."

Esposito turned to his partner, folding his arms. "What're you sayin', bro?"

Ryan glanced sideways at his partner, before his eyes moved to Castle. He didn't want to give voice to what he was thinking. He knew what mentioning his theory would do to the men standing alongside him. But without anything else to go on, that theory was the best thing he had at this point.

But it was the first time Ryan ever hoped he was wrong.

"What if this is Jerry Tyson all over again?" He saw the panicked looks on Esposito and Castle's faces, deciding it was better to just spill the beans now and get it over with. "Come on, the lookalikes? Castle, did you really think he'd stop with Javi and Lanie?"

Esposito sighed and nodded. "Dude's been after you forever, bro."

Feeling dizzy and nauseous, Castle sat on the arm of a nearby chair. The mention of Jerry Tyson filled him with a toxic mix of dread and guilt, knowing the man was still out there, still free, because of him. He didn't want to consider the possibility, but at this point, it beat anything else he could come up with.

"And here I was hoping for alternate universe," Castle quipped, but there was no humor.

"Sorry, bro." Esposito slapped Castle's shoulder. "We're gonna go, get the ball rolling on tracking down Tyson. You coming with us?"

Castle swallowed and shook his head. "No. No, I think…I think I need to be alone for a little while."

The cops nodded. Ryan slapped Castle's shoulder too. "We'll call if we find anything."

Castle nodded, barely registering that Ryan and Esposito had left before he finally felt comfortable enough in his footing to stand. He cracked open the door to his office, his heart skipping a beat when he saw Kate curled up against herself in a chair, clearly engrossed in _Heat Wave_.

At her feet sat the other five Nikki Heat books.


	12. Chapter 12: Proof

**_Author's Note: I see the reviews are drying up a bit...we're not losing interest, are we? ;)_**

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><p><em>Elsewhere…<em>

The sun had set for the night by the time Kate Beckett emerged from Richard Castle's office, and she flinched when she saw him curled up on his couch, eyes open and starting at…nothing in particular. She cleared her throat and he flinched.

Was…were his eyes red?

"Beckett." His voice still held that stiff formality that ran counter to the close bond he insisted they had. Castle straightened and sucked in a ragged breath, trying to discreetly brush a thumb under his eye and failing miserably.

"Something wrong, Mr. Castle?"

He froze, momentarily wondering if he should share Detective Ryan's Jerry Tyson theory. He decided against it, mostly because of how disturbing that thought was to him – and the fact that he was still having trouble convincing Beckett that her mother was not, in fact, recently elected Senator.

"No." He protested a little too eagerly before standing. "Other than, you know…confused about things." Right, because that was smooth. His gaze wandered to the open door to his office. "So…what do you think?"

Kate nodded once, averting her gaze. Truth he told, she was hooked. She didn't dare admit as such – at least, not to the extent in which she enjoyed _Heat Wave_. She was already well into _Naked Heat_, but her achy muscles and parched throat told her it was time to take a break.

"This…other Beckett sounds quite riveting." It sounded just as weird out loud as it had in her head. "I can see why you'd be so in love with her."

Castle frowned at that, which caused Kate to chuckle and shake her head. "Please, Mr. Castle. I see the way you look at me sometimes. If that's even half the way you look at _your_ Beckett…" She lowered her gaze, chewing on her lower lip.

"No one's…no one's ever looked at me that way before."

Castle's heart broke at that, even as his inner skeptic – _yes, such a creature exists_ – screamed at him to be wary. If Ryan's theory turned out to be spot-on, then this entire thing was a play, and the last thing Castle wanted was for Jerry Tyson to get the better of him again.

He felt his eyes burn, closing them to hold off the wave of emotion.

"I'm still not convinced." Kate broke Castle's train of thought. "I'm not…I don't think you're crazy. I think you genuinely believe the stories you tell me, and I won't lie – I kind of like the thought of Nikki Heat being based on me, because if I was as smart and savvy and badass as her, then…well, that would be pretty great."

She stepped toward Castle with a sigh. "But…I need proof. Something tangible. Something incontrovertible." She gave the man in front of her a sideways grin. "Burden of proof rests on the defense."

A smile flickered onto his lips, but it disappeared almost immediately. His face went dark.

"In that case…I have somewhere to take you."

* * *

><p>"A word of friendly advice, Mrs. Beckett?" Bracken straightened his tie, leaning back in his chair and letting his gaze scan the restaurant surrounding them. He leaned in, lowering his voice. "The first year or so is less about being seen or heard and more about learning the ropes."<p>

Johanna narrowed her gaze with a smirk. "Says then man who never met a cluster of microphones he didn't like."

"_Please_…" Bracken scoffed. "I saw your victory speech, Johanna."

"I was caught up in the moment." Johanna shrugged and sipped on her glass of wine. "Like that's never happened to you."

The smile on William Bracken's face was smug, as it so often was. "All I'm saying is…don't go in there expecting to make immediate waves. The Senate is like a giant cruise ship – any change of direction is slow, plodding, and requisite of the most abundant patience."

"And in the wrong hands, it can get steered right into an iceberg."

Bracken's stilted grin softened a little. "Touché, Mrs. Beckett."

* * *

><p><em>Elsewhere…<em>

As his car pulled to a stop, Richard Castle wondered why he agreed to do this. If Ryan was right, then this was colossally stupid on the novelist's part, driving in the dark, alone, with a disciple of Jerry Tyson…and to a cemetery, no less.

But Kate Beckett – well, the Kate Beckett in his passenger seat – demanded proof of everything Castle knew to be true, so in spite of every logical fiber of Castle's being, he leapt at the chance to give Kate what she wanted.

He glanced in the rearview mirror and gave a rueful smile. That was apparently the case, regardless of reality. There was probably a world full of shrimp somewhere, and in that world, there was probably a Richard Castle ready to jump over the moon for a Kate Beckett.

Shaking his head, and no longer wishing to imagine himself as a shrimp, Castle shut off the engine and gave Kate a sideways glance. She could see her jaw clench, the moonlight spilling through the windshield playing with the shadows just right. Kate was barely breathing, her shoulders tense.

"We're here." He swallowed. Castle really didn't want to do this. "Follow me."

He got out of the car, turning on his flashlight. He hadn't noticed Kate get out of the car, too, but they shut their respective doors in unison and stood there in silence. Castle told his feet to move, but for several moments, they refused.

He eventually began walking, his boots crunching against the dry ground. Kate followed him, her brow furrowed. She kept her eyes on him, partly so she wouldn't lose track of him in the dark. They weaved between gray slabs, names and dates etched into the stone.

"So…this other me." She shook her head. "Are we…?"

Castle nodded. "Couple years now." He tried to smile back at Kate, but it looked more like a cringe. "We're engaged."

_Oh._

As they moved, her pace quickened. She felt her heartbeat in her temples, swallowing hard in trepidation. She noticed when Castle's steps slowed, and she matched his speed, letting his revelation stew in her mind. Katherine Beckett, engaged? That was almost as impossible for her to believe as…

The shift in light caught Kate's attention, and she followed the beam. It illuminated one of the larger stones in the cemetery. Her eyes slowly took in the etchings, from the bottom up.

_January 9th 1999._

…

_February 4th 1951._

…

_Vincit Omnia Veritas_

…

_Johanna Beckett_

Kate gasped, clasping her palm over her mouth and dropping to her knees. Her entire body began to shake and before Kate knew it, strained sobs wracked her body. Her fingers quivered, tears streamed down her face. She hadn't noticed Castle kneel next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Beckett…"

She let out a wail of pain, squeezing her eyes shut for no other reason than she wouldn't have to stare at that goddamn stone anymore. The one with the family name blazoned along the top, with her mother's name etched underneath.

It was impossible. So unbelievably, simply impossible, and yet…here was the proof. This wasn't some prank. This wasn't some bad dream. The man to her left had been telling the truth all along, and even as she dealt with the enormity of realizing her mother was actually dead, Kate was struck with the realization that she really was out of her realm.

Literally.

Photographs could be doctored. Noted forged. Newspaper articles and internet links falsified. But this…the actual tombstone, with dates of birth and death, with her mother's favorite Latin saying…with _her name_…it was entirely too real.

So real that Kate clutched at Castle's arm, burying her face in his shoulder with a sob. He dropped his flashlight and wrapped his broad arms around her shoulders, unable to tear his gaze from the stone as he gently rocked her.

Truth conquers all.

Boy, he hoped that was still true.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's Note, Part 2: Man, I love where this is heading, and I think you guys are gonna love it too.<em>**


	13. Chapter 13: Taking Stock

"Rick…"

Kate Beckett stirred from a fitful sleep, instinctively calling out for her fiancé. It wasn't until she rolled over and blinked a few times that she realized she had fallen asleep on the sofa in Richard Castle's loft, not his bed, and that she was still in this strange world where they were strangers.

She sat up with a sigh. The realization hit her harder and harder each time it happened. She stretched out the kink in her neck before staring down at her left hand, taking in the sight of the engagement ring.

She had been so short-sighted, refusing to marry Castle when he asked shortly after his return. It seemed smart, prudent, at the time – waiting for things to return to normal, waiting for some of the pain and the uncertainty to pass.

Kate thought she was being mature – that _they_ were being mature.

But who was she kidding? Now, the only thing she wanted was to return to her life – her job, her friends, her father, _her Castle_ – and marry the love of her life. It didn't even really matter to her anymore that she lived in a world where Johanna Beckett was still alive. She lived in a world where she and Castle weren't set to marry, and she hated that.

_Tainted Blood_ sat on the floor, open to the page Kate had been on before she fell asleep. She smiled a little, in spite of her inner turmoil, glad that Castle's words could comfort her, even in a reality where he couldn't.

Then again, there was something to be said for the possibility of falling in love with him all over again. But she knew it wouldn't be the same; one of the reasons her relationship with him worked so well was because of how hard it had been for them to get to that point. Take away all the obstacles, and was the relationship just as special?

She flinched when Castle emerged from his office, his face brightening when he saw her.

"Kate." He tried to suppress a smile, failed. Even in a different world, his eyes smoldered for her. "You're up."

"Yeah." She stifled a yawn. "What time is it?"

Castle checked his watch. "Almost three in the morning." They both cringed at that, and Castle sat next to Kate with a sigh, grabbing the book on the floor and shutting it with a shake of his head. "So…what do you think of Richard Castle's foray into the supernatural and the macabre?"

He cringed again. "Please be gentle."

She laughed, resting her head on her knee and looking at Castle, the same way she always looked at him, before the stubble on his cheeks and the worn look in his eyes reminded her – yet again – that this wasn't her Castle. She bit her lip in an effort to hide the frown itching at her features.

"I like it." Kate smiled again. "Then again, I've always liked your writing."

This time, he smiled, leaning back against the back of the couch with the book in his lap. "I wish I could say the same." He shook his head. "I just…haven't had it since killing Derrick Storm."

Kate frowned. "Then why did you kill him?"

Castle shrugged, scratching at his stubble. "Boredom?" He shook his head. "I know what everyone thinks of me. Fun-loving playboy. Girl on each arm. Signing women's chests, living it up until the sun comes up, then living it up some more."

He heaved a heavy sigh, and Kate could see the sadness in his eyes. "I outgrew those days a long time ago." Another shrug. "But everyone expected certain things from me, so…I kept up the charade."

Simultaneously riveted and heartbroken, Kate sat up. "But…Martha and Alexis…"

"Are great." His smile was a sad one. "They're the reason I'm not in more of a funk." He sighed again. "But Alexis is in college, and…she's about to get married…"

Kate reached out and gave Castle's arm a squeeze, closing her eyes to fight off the burn building in them. Was this where he was headed, six years ago, before they met, before that copycat case thrust them into each other's lives?

If they had never met, would he have continued to spiral this way?

Kate knew the effect she'd had on him over the years – both because he had told her and because she saw the growth in him as the years went by. Even long before they actually got together, he'd changed his behavior – to the point where his brief fling with Jacinda was seen as an aberration and not his norm.

Was she sitting next to the Richard Castle he would've become if not for her?

It was all Kate could do to keep from crying.

"I know there's no explanation for this." He shrugged again. "But…it sounds like you've had a positive influence on me. The other me." Castle sighed. "And I'd be lying if I wondered…I mean, there's clearly a connection here…but…"

"No, Rick." She shook her head and swallowed. "I'm sorry, but…no. We can't. _I_ can't. Believe me, I've had the same thoughts." She looked down at her hands, which had become intertwined with his as they spoke. He hadn't been wrong about there being a connection.

"I…have to get back to my world. Somehow…" Kate sniffled, wiped away a tear. "I have to go back. I have to marry you." Her shoulders hunched; it was clear she was going to cry, whether she wanted to or not. "I…Rick, I'm sorry, but this isn't my place."

He nodded and looked at her, his eyes full of both pain and understanding. "I know it's not." He squeezed her hand before reluctantly letting go. "Which is why I'm going to help you, any way I can."

She smiled even though a few more tears dripped down her cheeks. "You think you'd be okay without me?"

It was dumb to think, Kate knew, to be worried about the well-being of a man she barely knew. But she knew how bad Richard Castle was hurting in this world, how lonely his existence was without her, and she felt guilty for wanting to go back home.

He tried to smile, but was far from convincing. "Who knows when things might turn around?"

She smiled, a little more true. "Hey…in my world, things turned around because of Nikki Heat, badass detective." She nudged his elbow. "Maybe in this world, you'll stumble upon Nikki Heat, badass DA."

He chuckled at that before Kate let go of his hand and stood. He watched, slightly confused, as Kate paced in front of him, chewing on her lower lip, her brows scrunched together in concentration.

She stopped and turned to Castle. "You said you'd do whatever to help me, right?"

He shrugged. "Yeah?"

"I need you to come somewhere with me." Kate's voice quickened, adrenaline coursing through her veins the way it always did when she caught a major break in an investigation. This wasn't quite that, but she had an idea, and if it went the way she hoped, maybe she'd have a way back home after all.

"Where?"

"An abandoned coal plant near the Hudson." She saw Castle frown, in confusion more than anything, and shrugged her shoulders. "That's where it all started." She started pacing again. "We were investigating a case. You had a hunch. I followed. There was a flash bomb…I came to…and everything was different."

He stood, noting the sudden sadness in her eyes. "I'll go."

She looked up at him, a hopeful glance in her eyes. "You sure? I mean, I know it's a long shot…"

"I'll go," he repeated, squeezing her shoulder. "If it means you get to go home and be happy again, I'll go."

Kate smiled sadly and squeezed the hand on her shoulder. Yes, she could definitely see herself falling in love with this man. But the memory of the one who waited years for her, who was still waiting for her, was too great.

"Then what're we waiting for?"


	14. Chapter 14: Flashpoint

_**Author's Note: Oh, it's getting good now...can't wait for you all to see what's coming up in future chapters!**_

* * *

><p>"Not to go all crazy theory on you…" Richard Castle glanced over his shoulder, beyond unnerved by his surroundings. Maybe coming to an abandoned coal plant in the middle of the night wasn't his best idea, and though dread wasn't an emotion he experienced on a regular basis, he was feeling that right now.<p>

"…but, what if you're just dreaming all of this?"

Trying to hide her smile, Kate Beckett wandered to the spot where she had remembered there being a black SUV. It was the first time Castle had sounded like her Castle since this whole ordeal began.

"You mean I'm still unconscious and this is all in my head?" She glanced over her shoulder at Castle. "Like my subconscious is trying to tell me something?"

Castle shrugged. "Look, I'd love to stand here and wax poetic about alternate dimensions and parallel timelines." He sighed. "But I'm afraid I'm more Scully than Mulder on this one."

She couldn't help but laugh. "I'm usually Scully."

He grinned, and for the first time that night, there wasn't a hint of sadness to it. "I can see that."

Kate's heart stopped for a moment when she finally laid eyes on the SUV, her eyes flickering left to find the silver briefcase sitting on a nearby table. Her hand instinctively went to her hip, and she cursed under her breath when she remembered there was no gun.

"Castle…look."

He joined Kate with a frown. "So…about the whole 'abandoned' thing…"

"This is exactly what we found when the flash bomb went off." Kate heaved a sigh, running her hands through her hair. She felt exposed without her service piece, and the fact that she was on this case with pseudo-Castle didn't help matters.

"What's in the briefcase?"

Kate shook her head. "Whatever it was, two people were killed because of it."

Before Castle could respond, the pair were interrupted by the sound of a gun cocking. Both Kate and Castle raised their arms, watching a man wearing a black suit and a yellow tie emerge from behind the SUV, his gun pointed at them.

"Lark."

The man grinned before cocking his head to the side, side-stepping toward the silver briefcase and flipping it open with his free hand. "So…it would appear that, no matter what the realm, I have to deal with you two."

Castle leaned in with a whisper. "Do you know this guy?"

Kate shrugged. "Murder suspect."

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say he did it."

"How did you get here, Detective Beckett?" Lark approached the pair, smiling when he saw them backtrack with each step. "Did you find the amulet? Did you figure out how it works?"

"Okay, I write about vampires for a living, but you're not making any sense."

* * *

><p><em>Elsewhere…<em>

Kate Beckett hadn't moved from Richard Castle's sofa since they returned from the cemetery. She sat curled up against herself, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Her eyes were red and puffy, her shoulders quivered.

Castle emerged from his office, crossing to the kitchen. He felt guilty about taking Kate to the cemetery, to prove to her once and for all that what he had said about her mother was true. She was so insistent about Johanna being a Senator, but he knew far better than anyone else – except for _his_ Kate – how that wasn't the case.

But the woman on his sofa had asked for proof, and he had given it.

He approached her. "There's, um…" Castle swallowed. "There's coffee if you want some."

Kate's eyes flicked up to Castle, and she tried to smile. "Thanks."

Castle turned to go back into his office before the sound of Kate's voice stopped him. "I mean it, Mr. Castle. You've been kind and patient and helpful, even when I gave you reason not to."

"It's my weakness," he joked. "I can't resist women named Kate Beckett."

Kate actually cracked a smile this time, shaking her head. "I almost kind of envy the other me. She sounds really lucky."

Sadness flashed in Castle's eyes, but he shook it off, his hand on the handle to the door leading to his office. "Well, if you ever see her…be sure to tell her that."

Kate sat up. "Mr. Castle?"

He sighed, returning to the sofa and taking a seat next to Kate. "We're engaged, but…" He shook his head. "I disappeared on our wedding day. Was gone for two months before I came back with no memory of where I went or what happened. We…put off the wedding because of it all, and…"

Kate nodded. "You feel guilty for everything she went through while you were gone."

"Yeah." Castle stared at his hands, darkness creeping into his blue eyes. "I feel like…like I'm not good enough for her. That, no matter what I do or how hard I try, there's always going to be something standing in our way. Maybe she'd be better off without me."

"I doubt that." Kate took his hand into hers, staring at his face. "I don't know everything, but…I know how hard that case was for the two of you." She swallowed, still having trouble wrapping her head around the idea of her mother being dead. "Something tells me…if you survived that, you'll survive anything."

Castle gave a sad smile. "I hope you're right."

"Castle?"

He stood, cocking his head to the side. "Yeah?"

"Can you take me to the precinct tomorrow? Let me see Detectives Ryan and Esposito?"

"Of course."

* * *

><p>"Is that what those men got killed over?" Kate took in a deep breath. "The amulet?"<p>

Lark snarled. "I don't know what you're talking about, detective."

"I think you're lying." Kate smirked. "Doesn't matter what world we're in, lying murderous scumbags are still a dime a dozen."

"You have no idea what you're up against."

Kate rolled her eyes and whispered to Castle. "If I had a dollar for every time I've been told that, I'd be as rich as you."

Castle chuckled, but his smile disappeared when he saw Lark point the gun at him. His heart rate nearly tripled, and Castle felt his legs become shaky. Knees wobbly, palms sweaty, it was all Castle could do to keep his balance.

"Uh, Kate…"

"What's the writer doing here?" Lark took another step forward, Kate and Castle each took a step back. "Trust me, Mr. Castle, this isn't something you wanna poke your nose into…in fact, I can't have any loose ends hanging around."

Kate's body went on auto-pilot when Lark pulled the trigger, two loud pops filling the abandoned coal plant as she leapt in front of Castle, shielding him from the bullets. She felt two stings of pain in her chest, the wounds burning as she slammed into the concrete with a gasp.

"_Kate!_"

Castle dropped to his knees beside Kate, his eyes fixated on the bloody wounds in her chest. Her gasps for air were sickening, and all of the color left her face. Her entire body began shaking, and Castle – at a loss for what else to do – grabbed her hand.

"Kate…" He swallowed. "Kate, you…you saved my life. Why?"

"Because…" Kate wheezed, shaky fingers tracing his jaw. "Because I lo-because I love you, Rick…"

Her eyes closed, and a wave of panic washed over Castle. "No…no no nononono! No! Stay with me, Kate. Come on, please. Stay with me, Kate! Don't leave me like this! Kate!

"_Kate!_"

Blue light emanated from the briefcase, pulsating with a soft hum. The light bathed the entire coal plant, blinding Castle and masking Lark's escape. He held onto Kate's hand, even as he felt the like drain out of her, shielding his eyes, which were filled with tears.

The light disappeared in an instant, and when Castle looked down, he gasped.

There was no body.


	15. Chapter 15: About-Face

_**Author's Note: With the massive shift in story, I'm scrubbing the "Elsewhere..." to differentiate between realities. From here on out, I'll find another way to distinguish between one reality and the next. This chapter takes place in the "canon" reality.**_

* * *

><p>Kate Beckett's eyes flew open, and she found herself in the elevator at the 12th Precinct. Her breath catching in her throat, eyes darting around her surroundings, Kate clutched both hands at her chest and looked down.<p>

No bullet holes. No blood. Nothing.

But…she had just been shot, right? She could've _sworn_ she had. Lark was in that coal plant, said something about an amulet, and then…he tried to shoot Richard Castle. Well, the _other_ Richard Castle. Not that the distinction mattered when Kate flung herself in front of the novelist, feeling the familiar heat of bullet piercing through her skin.

She clutched at her chest again, the only mark on her the scar from a few years prior. She sighed as the doors to the elevator pinged open, her eyes scanning the bullpen before she carefully stepped out of the elevator.

Everything appeared to be normal. Captain Gates was tucked away in her office, phone pressed to her ear, a perpetual look of annoyance on her face. Neither Ryan nor Esposito were at their desks, but the fact that their nameplates were there brought Kate some measure of relief.

Her heart skipped a beat when her eyes found the break room – specifically, the sight of her fiancé hoarding over the espresso machine, churning out a cup of coffee. Kate stole a glance back at her desk, momentarily confused when she saw the white dry-erase board was blank. But…weren't they working on a case?

It seemed as if Kate was back home, but…she was more confused than ever.

She crossed over to the break room, leaning up against the doorway as steam rose from the hissing machine. She took a few moments to drink in the sight of Richard Castle – _her_ Castle – his perfectly-starched button-down and the matching blazer, the way his broad shoulders looked even more muscular with the jacket on.

She smiled to herself, suppressing the urge to run straight toward him and wrap her arms around his waist. Under other circumstances, she would've done just that, but she didn't want Castle to spill his coffee or burn himself.

So she waited until Castle was done with the machine, waiting for him to set down his mug before sneaking up to him and grabbing his shoulder to spin him around. Before Castle could say anything, Kate wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder, latching onto him as tightly as she could.

Though initially stunned, Castle soon returned the embrace, leaning his head against hers and rocking her side to side. He gave Kate a squeeze that she returned in kind, before they reluctantly loosened their grip on each other. When Castle saw the look in his fiancée's eyes, his heart skipped a beat.

"Hey, Castle."

"Hi." His mouth formed a sideways grin as Kate's fingers trailed his lower lip. Emotions threatened to overwhelm him, but he couldn't find words for them – to be precise, he couldn't find words that wouldn't make him seem like a complete nut.

"I'm so glad to be back…"

Kate joined Castle at one of the tables, her hand intertwining with his. As long as she had been without him – the _real_ him – she needed all the physical contact she could get. It grounded her, if nothing else. Silence engulfed them for a few tense moments, neither one of them sure what to say, before Kate decided it was best if she just…dove right into it.

"It was Lark." Her eyes darted around the break room. "Wasn't it?"

Castle's brow furrowed and he squeezed Kate's hand, leaning in and momentarily ignoring the steaming mug to his left. "Kate…what are you talking about?"

Kate frowned. She thought being back in her world, her life, would make things easier, but she was more confused than before. "The…murder we were investigating. The two men killed, the silver briefcase that was stolen…"

Castle arched a brow. "Yeah, Ryan and Esposito are interrogating a security guard now."

Kate sat up a little straighter. "What about the abandoned coal plant?"

Castle frowned. "What?"

"The…coal plant. Near the Hudson. The one you wanted to investigate."

"Beckett…you overruled me on that."

She blinked, cocking her head to the side. "I did?"

"Yeah. I mean…" He shrugged. "We were going to, but before we could leave, Espo's lead came through."

Kate frowned, chewing on her lip. "When was this?"

"Three days ago."

Her eyes widened, and a mixture of panic and anger coursed through her. She'd been gone for three days? And everyone here at the 12th was acting as if everything was fine? What the _hell_?

"But…" Her frown deepened. "What…where…?"

Kate couldn't even think of the right questions to ask, because everything that popped in her head made her sound completely insane. Not that Castle would think that – he would believe practically anything – but her own need for logic and understanding precluded her from even slightly indulging in the unexplained.

Castle squeezed her hand, and she could see by the look in his eyes that he knew something was up. "As far as Gates knows…you've been out sick."

Kate stood, worry etched onto her features. "I sense a but…"

With a sigh, Castle stood. He had completely ignored the cup of coffee he had been brewing, and the steam from the mug had all but dissipated. He gave Kate a dark, serious look, extending his left hand for her.

"There's something you need to see."

* * *

><p>"Katherine Houghton Beckett, meet…" Castle frowned. "Katherine Houghton Beckett."<p>

Kate Beckett stood with her mouth agape, having momentarily lost her breath. The observation room was already one of the more cramped rooms in the entire precinct, and now it was downright suffocating. She peered through the glass, staring at a spitting image of herself sitting in one of the interrogation rooms.

The hairstyle, the eye color, the cheekbones…the woman sitting at that table was definitely a dead ringer for Kate. If it weren't for the incredibly expensive-looking business suit – one that looked to be well out of her pay grade – Kate would think they were twins.

Oddly enough, things started making more sense. Kate had spent the last few days in a world where there was a different Richard Castle, so it stood to reason that there would be another Kate Beckett. As unnerving as it was to stare at her doppelganger, Kate had to admit, it was strangely plausible.

Then again, there was another possible explanation…

She whirled to her fiancé with dread in her eyes. "Rick…"

"I know." He squeezed her hand. "Ryan was the first to mention it. He's looking into it."

Kate nodded and sucked in a deep breath, using her free hand to wipe at her eye. She shook her head and swallowed, thinking back to all of the ways in which the world she'd spent the last few days in was for this one. Most differences were relatively minor – her father had a goatee, Alexis dyed her hair black with purple stripes – but others…

Kate shook her head. "We sure that's me? Her? Her-me?" She sighed. "I mean, what do we know about her?"

"She says that she's an assistant district attorney." Castle was choosing his words carefully, not holding his gaze with Kate. Alarms went off in her head. Castle was hiding something from her. She squeezed his hand, staring through the glass.

"Rick…" She swallowed. "Whatever it is, just…tell me."

He sighed and nodded, pursing his lips. "She, uh…she swears that Johanna's alive. That she was recently elected Senator."

Kate let go of her fiancé's hand with a gasp, taking two steps back before cupping her hands over her mouth. Confusion and grief struck her all at once, and Kate shook as she fought to keep the tears from falling. She shook her head, trying to ignore the sympathetic look Castle was giving her.

Her eyes flickered to his before Kate slipped out of the observation room and crossed to the interrogation room without thinking. She ignored Castle's call to stop before closing the door behind her, stopping in her tracks once the two women's eyes met.

Those eyes. _Her_ eyes.

Kate released her hold on the door knob, swallowing and clearing her throat before finally wandering to the chair across from the other woman. She sat carefully, her hands gripping the edge of the table.

She heard Castle knocking against the wall separating the two rooms, but she ignored it. Kate needed answers, and a head-on approach like this was the only way she was going to get them.

The other Beckett gave her a once-over. "Nikki Heat?"

Kate blinked and shook her head. "Detective Beckett, NYPD."

The other woman shook her head before leaning back in her chair, left leg crossed over her right. She was wearing a skirt – definitely one of those differences between this world and the other one, Kate thought.

"Well…this is awkward, isn't it?"

"Not as awkward as parading around telling people my mother's alive."

Something flashed in the other Beckett's eyes. Hurt, anger, remorse. Kate cocked her head to the side and squinted. Had this Beckett discovered something since winding up in this world? Did she get a rude awakening of sorts?

"What's going on?"

The other Beckett shrugged. "I woke up a few mornings ago in a bed I didn't recognize. No memory of the night before, no idea how I got where I was, but…it was Mr. Castle's place. He was making breakfast." She frowned. "It was like…"

"Like you lived together."

"Yeah." The other Beckett sighed and shook her head. "I have no idea how I wound up here. I don't even know where _here_ is. I just…" She glanced down at her hands clasped together in her lap. "He showed me. The tombstone."

Without thinking, Kate reached across the table, extending her right hand. Reluctantly, the other Beckett reached out for that hand, and the two women squeezed.

"Mr. Castle tells me you caught the guy responsible."

Kate nodded. "We did."

"Bracken." The other Beckett shook her head and smirked. "Never thought the bastard had it in him."

* * *

><p>Castle watched the two women through the glass, utterly speechless – which, considering the man made a considerable living with words, was quite the accomplishment. He shook his head and couldn't hide the dopey grin off his face.<p>

"I haven't had this dream in years…"

"What dream, bro?"

The sound of Esposito's voice startled Castle, but before he had a chance to think up an excuse, both Esposito and Ryan caught sight of the interrogation room. Their mouths fell open, and Ryan dropped the manila folder he'd had tucked under his right arm.

"Is it just me…" Ryan broke the silence. "Or is this really weird?"

Esposito shook his head. "Definitely weird."

Ryan frowned at Castle. "So where was Beckett? I mean…_our_ Beckett."

Castle shrugged. "She hasn't said, but…gentlemen, if this isn't the work of Jerry Tyson, then I think it's time we started considering the possibility that there are parallel universes out there." Ignoring the detectives' shared look of skepticism, Castle's voice rose an octave as he became more animated.

"Think about it! There's another world out there where Katherine Beckett never loses her mother, and thus her dream of becoming a lawyer and working her way toward the Supreme Court continues unabated. Meanwhile, in _our_ reality, Katherine Beckett embarks on a personal journey for justice, putting her dream on hold so she can bring down the man responsible for tearing apart her family. Somewhere along the way, the two Becketts have switched worlds."

Esposito arched an eyebrow, straightening his tie. "So then how did one Beckett get back, but the other one hasn't?"

Ryan shrugged. "Disturbance in the force?"

Castle turned back to the glass, his brow furrowing.

Ryan chimed in again. "Anyone else getting a…Natalie Rhodes vibe all over again?"

"No, bro." Esposito shook his head. "Natalie Rhodes was kind of funny. This is just…disturbing."

Ryan shook his head. "How do you think Beckett feels?"


	16. Chapter 16: Missing Persons

_**Author's Note: Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!**_

* * *

><p><em>The Manhattan office of Senator-elect Johanna Beckett…<em>

The bags under Johanna Beckett's eyes were darker than usual, since she hadn't slept in the past two days. Jim sat to her right, his hand on her knee, the worry in his eyes matching the fidgeting on her fingers. He was trying to stay calm, but the subtle bounce of his left leg told Johanna he was just as on-edge as she was.

It had been two days since Johanna had last seen her daughter, their brief conversation in her office before the Senator-elect had to jet off her for her surprise lunch with William Bracken. The lunch had been cordial enough, considering, but Johanna's intuition started bugging her during that night's dinner with the Chamber of Commerce.

She had tried calling Kate after the dinner, to ask how her date went – Johanna still couldn't wrap her head around the idea of her daughter, the workaholic, being on a date – but the phone went straight to voicemail.

The next morning, straight to voicemail.

She'd called the police on Jim's suggestion to file a missing persons report. Amazingly enough, this hadn't leaked to the public yet: one would think a Senator-elect reporting that her daughter, the assistant DA, was missing would make waves. But thank goodness for small favors.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Detective." Jim cleared his throat.

"Please." Tom Demming straightened his baby blue tie, leaning forward in his seat with his elbows on his knees. "Now, I've read the report, but I want to go through everything again. Mrs. Beckett, when was the last time you saw Katherine?"

"Two days ago." Johanna glanced at her husband, swallowing. "She'd stopped by the office to say hi."

Demming jotted onto his legal pad. "And did she seem okay to you? Anything out of the ordinary?"

"She did seem a little…off." Johanna and Jim exchanged a glance. "She asked me something about a case I'd never worked on before. Pulgatti, I think the name was, but…" She shrugged. "I've never heard that name before."

More jotting. Then Demming's eyes rose and met Jim's. "And you, Mr. Beckett?"

Jim heaved a weary sigh, scratching under his white goatee. "The night before that, I grabbed a bite to eat at Remy's and ran into her there. She was a little off then, too. I saw a pretty fancy ring on her finger, and when I asked her about it, she took off."

Johanna frowned. "A ring?"

Jim shrugged and shook his head. He was just as confused as his wife.

Demming set down his legal pad and sat back in his seat. "Katherine mentioned a date. Did she say who she was seeing?"

Johanna shook her head. None of this made any sense. This didn't sound like her Katie at all. Her daughter barely had time for family get-togethers, let alone being romantically involved with anyone – and the fact that neither she nor Jim had any idea who this mystery man was did little to assuage her concern.

Demming stood after placing his legal pad in a brown leather briefcase. The Becketts rose with him, and the three of them exchanged handshakes. "I'm not gonna lie." Demming said. "With so little to go on, we're not really sure where to start. But I already have uniforms stationed outside the DA's office and patrolling around Katherine's apartment.

"My partner, Detective Thornton, is interviewing her colleagues as we speak. Something breaks, you two will be the first to know."

* * *

><p><em>Interrogation room, NYPD's 12<em>_th__ Precinct…_

Richard Castle now stood against the back wall of the interrogation room, transfixed on the women sitting at the table. Kate Beckett – _his_ Kate Beckett – and the other one…the one who had yelled at him the other morning and had gone sleepless the previous night while rushing through his stack of Nikki Heat books.

He'd had his share of fantastical theories and ideas and dreams over the years, but they all paled in comparison to what was sitting right in front of him. He tried to suppress a smile, but it still managed to tug at the corner of his mouth.

Kate – _his_ Kate – saw this and arched a brow. "What, Castle?"

"Oh, nothing." He straightened his posture. "Just…thinking that, if we're ever on a rooftop and I have to shoot one of you in order to thwart some monstrous take-over-the-world scheme, would I pick the right one?"

Both Kates rolled their eyes and shook their heads.

"Okay." Castle blinked. "_That_ was creepy."

"Is he always like this?" The other Beckett smirked.

A genuine smile played across Kate's face, though she tried to keep a look of annoyance on her face. "You have no idea." She shrugged. "It's actually sort of endearing…most of the time."

A knock on the door startled Castle, and he gave the two women sitting at the table a forced smile before ducking out the door. The other Beckett's shoulders relaxed when the door shut, and she shook her head with a laugh.

Kate frowned. "What?"

"Nothing." The other Beckett smirked. "It's just…I can't get a read on him. One minute he's genuine and soft and trustworthy and the next, he's like…this…"

Kate arched her eyebrows. "Nine-year-old on a sugar rush?"

"Exactly!"

Silence fell over the two women, and they spent the time looking all over the interrogation room – anything to keep from looking at each other. It was one thing to see themselves reflected back in a mirror, but sitting face-to-face with an honest doppelganger or twin or whatever this was? That was a whole new level of weird.

"So…" The other Beckett cleared her throat. "You're marrying him."

"I am." Kate smiled and shook her head, though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes.

The other Beckett leaned forward a little, squinting. "What's wrong?"

Kate shook her head. "Nothing, just…"

Beckett leaned back in her chair. "You worried he's gonna disappear on you again?"

Kate frowned, her mouth agape. How could…

Beckett shook her head. "Relax, he told me." She sighed. "Once I was finally convinced that he wasn't just some psycho guy trying to pull my chain, that what he was telling me about my – well, _your_ – life was true, I started asking about you.

"You know, what you're like, what interests you, what kind of cop are you. I figured you two were pretty cozy, considering this all started with me waking up in his bed with him making breakfast and brewing coffee. Just the way I like it, by the way…"

Kate couldn't help but smile. Food and coffee: two of the most fool-proof ways for Richard Castle to show his affection.

"I read his books and to be honest, if you're anything like Nikki Heat, then I'm suddenly jealous."

Kate blinked. "Why?"

Beckett shrugged. "Cause my life's so…dull, I guess?"

"But…" Kate blinked back tears that were threatening to build in her eyes. "You have mom…"

"I also have a boring-ass career and no social life." Beckett shrugged again, staring at her hands cradled together on the surface of the table. "I don't want to diminish your pain. I don't know what I would do if I lost my mom like that. But…"

She sighed.

"Kate, it's clear from the look in Mr. Castle's eyes what you mean to him, and I know that a lot of what he wrote in those books is based on not just you, but the things you two have been through together."

Kate glanced down at her own hands, taking in the ring on her finger. It looked dull under the drab lighting of the interrogation room, and before she could stop it, Kate felt a tear roll down her cheek, brushing it aside with her thumb and hoping the other Beckett didn't notice.

She did notice, but she didn't mention it.

"I'll take near-death experiences and the threat of personal tragedy if it means I get to spend my days and nights with someone who makes me feel alive." The other Beckett cocked her head to the side. "I know you're gunshy after his disappearance, but Kate, what are you waiting for?"

Kate opened her mouth to speak, but found no words. She shook her head and felt the burn in her eyes again. This time, she didn't try to stop them.

"He is so clearly, madly, deeply in love with you." The other Beckett sighed. "You-you. Not me-you. And it's clear you feel the same way, because even in this light, I can see that thing shining on your finger."

Kate blinked; if she didn't know any better, she would've sworn she was right back where she was years ago, when it seemed like everyone but her knew what was going on with Castle. The lectures from Lanie, the knowing looks from Ryan and Esposito, the letter for Royce.

"But those two months…"

"Were hell. I get it." The other Beckett leaned forward again. "You fought and you fought and you fought until it felt like you couldn't fight anymore. But Kate…at least you have something worth fighting for."

* * *

><p><em>Outside the interrogation room<em>…

"Bad news, bro."

Castle frowned, looking between Detectives Ryan and Esposito.

Ryan sighed. "Jerry Tyson is dead."

Castle blinked, as if he wasn't confused enough as it is, with the Becketts playing _This is Your Life_ in the interrogation room. "I thought you said it was _bad_ news."

Esposito handed Castle a manila folder. "Read Lanie's report."

Castle opened the file, his blue eyes dancing over the writing. This was one of those instances where his speed reading skills were put to the test – a lot of big, scientific words he only barely recognized – but when Castle got to the end of the report, his stomach dropped and the breath sucked out of his lungs.

His eyes drifted up to meet Ryan and Esposito's, and they both gave a solemn nod.

"Kelly Nieman?"


	17. Chapter 17: Doppelganger

_The interrogation room…_

Kate Beckett could see the confusion and anxiety written all over Detective Kevin Ryan's face. Truth was, she shared his apprehension, because she vividly remembered reading the story in the newspaper detailing how he'd died while working undercover with the Irish mob.

Then again, the whole alive-in-one-world-dead-in-another thing appeared to be a theme.

"Uh…" Ryan shook his head, his brow perpetually scrunched in confusion. "This, uh…shouldn't take too long. Just…"

The other Beckett couldn't help but smirk, her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. "I know how DNA swabs work, Detective." Her eyes flickered to the mirror, and she just knew that all of Detective Ryan's buddies were on the other side, snickering at his expense.

Forcing herself to not smile, and finding the task difficult, Beckett opened her mouth, waiting for the cotton to swab the inside of her cheek before closing it.

Ryan placed the cotton swab in a plastic bag before sealing it and jotting something down in the space provided on the bag. "Alright, we'll send this over to the lab and hopefully Lanie will have something for us before the end of the day."

Beckett blinked. "Lanie? As in Lanie Parish?"

Ryan nodded. "Yeah, she's our ME."

Beckett smiled and shook her head. "And here I thought she was a world-class ballerina."

* * *

><p><em>The observation room…<em>

Kate watched the scene unfold with a bemused smirk before casting a sideways glance at Detective Esposito. "You made Ryan do this just to laugh at him, didn't you?"

Esposito's only reply was a self-satisfied grin, which made Kate roll her eyes before she grabbed Castle's hand and looked up at him. He wasn't sharing in Esposito's adolescent ways, which was unusual, but the look of awe and disturbance in his eyes told Kate that something was on his mind.

She thought of asking, but decided to wait until they had a moment alone to press. Kate returned her gaze to the window, chewing on her lip.

"I'm just glad to be back in a world where he's alive."

Esposito frowned. "What?"

"Where I was?" Kate shrugged, showing that she was still having trouble processing all of this, even though she had just been face-to-face with her doppelganger – _wait, that can't be the right word…doppelgangers are evil. Right?_

"Detective Ryan never made it to Homicide, because that undercover case with the Irish mob had killed him."

Esposito shook his head. "Damn..." He glanced at Kate. "What about me?"

Kate shook her head. "There was no record of a Javier Esposito."

"So I don't exist?"

Castle smirked. "Badass super secret military man."

Kate couldn't hide her smile this time, because that was almost exactly what the _other_ Castle had said. The two men were definitely different – much like she noticed that she and the other Beckett were like night and day – but the similarities were striking and oddly comforting.

She squeezed her fiancé's hand, watching Ryan leave the interrogation room with the swab. Kate watched the other Beckett run her hands through her hair and shake her head, eyes dancing around the poorly-lit room.

Her mind flashed to their earlier conversation, about how the other Beckett had admitted to envying Kate. Even though the other Beckett didn't have to live in a world where her mother was brutally murdered, she still envied everything Kate had in this world.

She glanced at Castle once again, thinking back to her encounters with the other man. How he'd seemed lost and out of sorts. Still famous, still wealthy, still successful, but missing that elusive _something_.

Kate felt the tug on her heart. She squeezed Castle's hand hard enough to get his attention, nodding her head toward the door once he looked at her.

Castle nodded, and the duo left Esposito alone in the observation room.

* * *

><p><em>The break room…<em>

No sooner did Castle close the door to the break room, Kate spun around, clutched his face in her hands, and kissed him as hard and as feverishly as she could. He moaned against her lips, first in surprise, then in surrender, his hands on her shoulders. Castle let his back press against the door, returning her kiss in kind.

When Kate finally broke the kiss – to breathe, more than anything – she sniffled, feeling the tears in her eyes and finding she didn't care if they fell. She was home now. She was safe.

She was in Castle's arms. _Her_ Castle.

He saw a tear spill from her eye, frowning and brushing his thumb over her cheek. "Hey…"

Kate pressed her forehead against Castle's chest, taking in his warmth and letting herself savor the feel of his soft fabric against her skin. The way he dressed had always been one of her favorite things about him, and Kate often found so much comfort in just his clothes…now more than ever.

"Beckett…"

She clutched at the lapel of his blazer, squeezing her eyes shut. Kate felt her fiancé's hands roaming softly up and down her back, her shoulders hunching as tears fell from her eyes. She cried softly, burying herself against Castle, and she sighed in contentment when she felt his arms wrap fully around her shoulders and squeeze.

Kate pulled back just enough to look at Castle, wiping at her eyes.

"Kate…"

"I saw her." Kate swallowed, her eyes focusing on one of Castle's buttons. Her voice was tiny, almost childlike. "My mom. I saw her, Castle."

Castle leaned down to kiss the top of Kate's head, keeping silent to give her the space to say what she needed to say, how and when she needed to say it. He had learned over the years when to push, and this was not one of those times.

"She was on the front page of the _Times_." Kate shook her head. "She'd just been elected Senator." She looked up in time to see Castle's expression soften, something she couldn't place in his blue eyes. Kate smirked a little. "She unseated Bracken."

A small smile tickled his features, and he kept his hold on Kate.

"I went to talk to her." Kate drew in a deep breath, shaking her head. "I had to. She's just like I remember, Castle. The same smile, the same…mannerisms." She sniffled. "Everything."

Castle led Kate to one of the tables on the far end of the break room, and they sat side-by-side with their hands intertwined. Kate stared at their hands, her engagement ring visible the way their hands were arranged.

"I saw you and the other Kate talking." Castle broke the silence. "Dare I ask what about…?"

"You, actually."

She couldn't hide the smile when Castle's eyebrows shot up. "She was, uh…" This was so going to go to Castle's head. "She was telling me how lucky I was to have you. She called her life boring, and she said it was clear how you felt about me."

Castle shrugged. "Must've been the Heat books."

Kate shook her head. "No, it…it was more than that. She said it was the way you looked at her."

Castle frowned. "Kate…"

"No, I get it." Kate squeezed his hands. "I, um…there was another you. Where I was."

"Was I ruggedly handsome?" He really couldn't help himself.

"You were, actually." Kate smiled, but the expression disappeared almost as quickly as it formed. "But you were also unhappy."

Castle fell silent again, though Kate could tell by the dark expression on his face that it wasn't because he was waiting for her to continue. He stared at a random spot on the table, and she squeezed his hands again in an effort to get him to re-focus on her.

"Makes sense." He shrugged. "I was unhappy before I met you."

"After you killed off Derrick Storm, you wrote vampire novels." She laughed a little when Castle visibly blanched. "They were good, but it was obvious your heart wasn't in it. Even Alexis could tell."

Castle brightened a bit. "Even in another world, I've got my pumpkin."

"Sort of." Kate cringed a little. "Your pumpkin had black and purple hair and was engaged to Ashley. But…not _that_ Ashley."

Castle blinked. "How many boys named Ashley can there be?"

Kate shook her head. "Not a boy."

Understanding washed over Castle, and Kate couldn't help but laugh at the wide-eyed expression on his face. She leaned her forehead against his shoulder, the weight that had been pressing down on her shoulders suddenly gone. She kept her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes.

"Rick?"

"Hm?"

"Marry me."

Castle lifted his head, slightly confused.

She leveled her gaze at him. "After this is over. Once we get the other me back home. Marry me." She cradled Castle's hands against her chest, her breathing heavy as tears built into her eyes again. "I was wrong to make us wait, Rick. I thought it was right and mature, but…when I was stuck in that other world, I just…the only thing I could think of was getting back here and being your wife. And, Rick, I can't…" She sniffled. "I can't wait any longer."

Before Rick could give the yes that was written all over his face, the door to the break room swung open and Ryan poked his head in. He cringed when both Kate and Castle shot him an annoyed glare, their hands still clasped together.

"Sorry, guys." He swallowed. "DNA's back. Perfect match. She's you, Kate."

Both Kate and Castle exhaled in relief. That ruled out Kelly Nieman. The whole Jerry Tyson mess that had hung over their heads for years was finally over. But even in her relief, Kate couldn't help but feel bad for the other her, the one sitting in that interrogation room. She was out of her element, lost and confused.

Not unlike Kate the day before.

"Rick…"

He squeezed her hand with a nod. "I know." He smiled. "We'll get her home somehow. Then we'll make you Mrs. Castle."

She grinned. "Well, what if I want you to be Mr. Beckett?"


	18. Chapter 18: What Might Be

_The other loft…_

Richard Castle pushed through the door to his loft with an exhausted sigh, tossing his coat over the handrail on the stairwell. The skin on his hands was tight and dry, the result of at least a dozen hand-washings in an attempt to get rid of the blood. He knew the blood on his shirt would be even tougher to get rid of, and as he turned to the living room, the wear of the day threatened to catch up with him.

He'd spent the past couple days with a woman who had claimed to be his fiancée, a woman who swore she was a homicide cop when she was, in point of fact, an assistant DA and the daughter of a recently-elected Senator.

The whole episode had been more emotional than Castle had anticipated – he silently hoped it was true, for the sake of that other him – but it paled in comparison to knowing this woman, named Kate, had taken a bullet for him hours earlier.

She'd died for him. Hadn't she? The blue light and the disappearance made him wonder.

Not that Castle could call anyone about it. Who would believe him?

He approached the couch, watching as Ashley and Alexis cuddled up against each other, Ashley's long fingers softly wading through his daughter's black and purple locks. Castle could envision a scenario in which Alexis took a bullet for Ashley, or vice versa. They loved each other. That made sense.

Why would that woman take a bullet for him? Was it a cop's instinct? Was it her love for him – the _other_ him?

He lowered himself onto an empty chair with another sigh, and the two young women finally registered his presence.

"Mr. C…"

"Dad?" Alexis sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Where've you been? With Ms. Beckett?"

Castle folded his arms over his chest in an effort to hide the bloodstains on his shirt, swallowing and nodding. "Something like that." Truth was, he didn't know what did or didn't happen. Castle actually found himself questioning his own sanity.

Mysterious woman showed up at his door, spun this fantastic tale about how they were in love and engaged to be married, that they spent their lives saving the world and putting away murderers together…oh, and she got shot protecting him before disappearing in a flash of blue light.

If Castle had written that story, his publisher would toss the manuscript in his face and tell him to try again.

Ashley opened her mouth to speak before a breaking news bulletin blasted on the flatscreen. All three of them sat up with their eyes fixed to the screen as a male anchor a little too tanned and wearing a little too much makeup stared a hole into the camera.

_Breaking news out of Manhattan this evening, as New York police are investigating a missing persons case involving Senator-elect Johanna Beckett. Johanna alerted authorities this afternoon that her daughter, New York City Assistant District Attorney Katherine Beckett, has not been seen for the last two days, and that her behavior prior to that had been erratic._

Castle exchanged a glance with his daughter, feeling his heart sink again.

_Authorities are asking that anyone with any information call the Missing Persons hotline immediately._

Ashley turned off the TV as Alexis rose from her seat and moved to the back of Castle's chair, placing her hands on his shoulders and squeezing them. "Dad, what happened?"

He sighed again – he seemed to be doing a lot of that these days – sinking into his chair and looking up at his daughter. Under normal circumstances, having Alexis close would sooth his nerves, but his fingers were shaking as they ran over his tired, stubbly face.

"I…" He shook his head. "I don't know."

Alexis squeezed her father's shoulders again before wrapping her arms around them and resting her chin on his shoulder. Their heads touched, and Castle closed his eyes. He had to have been imagining all of this. Right? Maybe his life had become so dull, so without note, that his subconscious created this fantastical world where his life mattered.

He opened his eyes again, looking up at his daughter. "Pumpkin, am I going crazy?"

Alexis frowned and shrugged her shoulders. "No more than usual."

Castle tried to smile but failed, sitting up and leaning his head against the back of his chair. "No, I mean…" He sighed, staring at the flatscreen. "Alexis, I…I didn't just imagine the last couple days, did I? Beckett really did show up here?"

Alexis nodded with a sigh. "More than once."

"I think she even read your book once." Ashley pointed behind her at the kitchen. "I woke up in the middle of the night last night and saw your copy of _Tainted Blood_ on the bar, open to chapter 16."

Castle couldn't help but smile; he always loved it when people read his books – even books he didn't particularly enjoy writing – but the fact that Beckett appeared to have been a fan of his outside of their engagement just felt…better somehow, though he had no idea why.

He sat up again, staring into the kitchen. Something tugged at his subconscious, and he reached up to give Alexis' hand a squeeze before he rose and crossed back into the kitchen. Sure enough, there the book still sat, but it was closed.

Alexis and Ashley followed.

He grabbed the book, studying the yellow and orange on the cover. It was laid out in the same vein as his Derrick Storm novels, with black figured silhouetted against a splash of color. He thought they would opt with red, because blood, but they went a different route.

"She said she liked it."

Ashley leaned against the bar, chewing on her lower lip. "It really is one of your better ones, Mr. C. I didn't think you had the vampire bug in you, but…I guess you do."

"Yeah." He set the book down again, chewing on his lower lip before regarding his daughter and her fiancée. "Thing is, though…I don't enjoy this. I didn't enjoy writing this. Normally, if I can't get into what I'm writing, it shows."

It didn't matter how many times people told Castle they loved his writing, it was still a boost for his confidence. But that boost had waned in recent years, blunted by the fact that he couldn't really get into what he was writing. First Derrick Storm, now this series.

His mind drifted back to Nikki Heat. The character who apparently not only reaffirmed his status as a bestselling author, but the character who was largely responsible for his life being so…would extraordinary be the right word?

Because where Castle was right now felt quite…ordinary.

"It's weird." He shook his head. "People have been telling me they like my writing since I was in college. But when _she_ said it, it just felt…different somehow."

Castle lifted the book off the surface of the bar, flipping through the pages before he noticed a folded-up piece of paper fall out. The three of them watched the paper fall to the floor before Alexis lowered herself off the stool to grab it.

She frowned before handing the paper to her father. "It has your name on it."

Sure enough, in the center of the folded-up page, was the name _Rick_. Without opening it, Castle knew who had written it. He swallowed and unfolded the paper, his heartbeat quickening as the paper became unfurled.

Ashley sat up a little straighter. "Is it from Ms. Beckett, Mr. C?"

Castle nodded, his eyes dancing over the page. He was naturally a quick reader, but he forced himself to slow down, making sure he took in every word. Castle swallowed as he processed the words scribbled onto the page, feeling the burn of tears in his eyes.

_Rick,_

_Believe me when I tell you that you're an amazing man. I wish there was a way for me to prove it to you, to let you see what I see when I look at you, but if you're reading this, then chances are I'm back home. I can't thank you enough for your guidance while I was there, and I just want you to do one thing for me: find me. The other me. The me who still has her mother. Just find me. You deserve to be happy, Richard. You deserve a life that's remarkable._

_Always,_

_Kate_

Castle set the paper down on the bar with a heavy sigh, tears in his eyes. Alexis and Ashley stared at him. The three of them were silent for what felt like a few minutes, but when a couple tears trickled down Castle's stubbled cheeks, Alexis reached out and squeezed his hand.

"Dad?"

"Mr. C?"

He gave the young women seated across from him a sad smile and a nod, sniffling and brushing his thumb just under his eyes. His eyes studied the handwriting, taking surprising pleasure in the way his name looked in Beckett's writing. It comforted him, for some reason. He couldn't place why.

"Dad. You okay?"

He smiled at Alexis, a little more true this time, before grabbing the phone from his pocket, swiping his thumb over the screen a few times, and placing the device to his ear. "Actually, yeah." He took in a deep breath. "Yeah, I think I am."

The line connected and Castle stood up a little straighter.

_Johanna Beckett's office. Can I help you?_


	19. Chapter 19: Far-Fetched

_The Manhattan office of Senator-elect Johanna Beckett…_

Even as he sat in Johanna Beckett's office, waiting for her to come out for their scheduled meeting, Richard Castle had no idea what he was going to tell her. He thought about telling her the truth – that her daughter was in some other reality, that the Kate Beckett she had seen a few days ago was a _different_ Kate Beckett, but even the bestselling author couldn't wrap his head around it.

Castle knew it was true. He'd seen the evidence firsthand. The way the other Kate had looked at his was seared into his brain. He didn't remember anyone ever looking at him that way – not Meredith, not Gina, not any number of the women he had bedded in the interim and since.

No, Castle would remember looks like that. Loving glances, intense stares in which those green eyes implored him to believe that he was everything in the world to her. Castle thought of his alternate self, feeling something far more intense than jealousy, hoping beyond hope that his other self was smart and did everything he could to make sure he never let that woman go.

Castle shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. This was pathetic, crying over a woman he barely knew, a woman who was never going to stay.

The letter she had left him was tucked away in the pocket of his blazer. For some reason, it comforted him. It also inspired him. He _had_ to figure out what happened to this reality's Kate Beckett, because if the other Kate was right, then maybe there were brighter days in Castle's future.

He pulled out his phone, opening the search app and typing in _Nikki Heat_. No hits.

Castle shook his head and pocketed his phone, just as the door to Senator-elect Beckett's office opened and she stepped through. She gave Castle a polite smile, one that actually met her eyes _green, just like Kate's_ – extending her arm.

"Mr. Castle." They shook hands before Johanna led him into her office. "Thank you for coming."

A man stood when Castle entered, sporting a brown leather jacket and a white goatee. He also extended his arm. "Jim Beckett. I'm Katie's father."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Beckett."

"Please." Jim waved his hand. "Mr. Beckett is all I hear in the courtroom. Call me Jim."

The trio sat and Castle cleared his throat. He honestly had no idea where to go with this, and his eyes darted from Johanna to Jim. Parents looking for a missing child was stressful enough, but the fact that the child in question was a high-profile legal professional – and the unusual circumstances surrounding her disappearance – Castle couldn't imagine what the Becketts were going through.

He shuddered to think what would happen if Alexis ever disappeared.

"Do you have any children, Mr. Castle?"

Regarding Jim with a solemn nod, Castle cringed. "A daughter." He couldn't help but smile at the thought of Alexis. No matter what he was going through in life, he knew he had his daughter to lean on – even if she was an adult on the precipice of starting her own life. "Alexis. She's 21."

Johanna leaned forward in her seat. "You said you spoke with Katie a couple days ago?"

"Yeah." Castle heaved an exhausted sigh and sat back in his chair. This was it. No backing out now… "She showed up at my loft in SoHo three days ago. She…" He shook his head, looking down at his hands. "She acted like we knew each other, like we were…" Castle swallowed. "Close."

Johanna squinted in confusion. Jim scratched at his goatee. "Was she wearing an engagement ring?"

Castle nodded. "And she swore I gave it to her."

Johanna shook her head. "Katie would've mentioned if she knew a celebrity."

Castle would normally revel in his notoriety, make some smug crack about how popular he was – mostly to mask his own insecurities – but he kept his mouth shut given the circumstance. Instead, he shrugged to show the Becketts that this didn't make much sense to him either.

"That's not even the weird part." Castle took another deep breath, shooting a sympathetic look Johanna's way. "She told me she was a cop – homicide – and that…" He shook his head. He had to say this part. "She said she became a cop because you were murdered, Johanna, and that your case went unsolved."

Johanna was stunned into silence, her eyes flickering between Castle and her husband. All three of them were silent for what felt like an eternity, before she scoffed and sank into her seat. "Did she…did she mention a Pulgatti?"

Castle nodded. "She said you were working on the case of a mob guy named Pulgatti who was framed for the murder of an undercover FBI agent. Kate said…working that case was what got you killed."

Jim's eyebrows arched. "And…who did this?"

"Senator Bracken."

Jim bolted from his chair. "Now wait just a goddamn-!"

"Jim!" Johanna grabbed his arm and led him back to his chair, giving Castle a skeptical glance. "When Katie was here the other day, she asked me about Pulgatti. Like…it was important to her."

She turned her attention back to Castle. "I'm…I'm not sure we believe you, Mr. Castle."

He shrugged. "I'm not sure I believe me, either." _That's not true…I believe every word of it. At least, I want to… _"I just know what she told me."

Jim shook his head. "And when was the last time you saw her?"

Castle swallowed. Now for the part they _really_ weren't going to believe…

* * *

><p><em>Richard Castle's loft…<em>

"Wait here…"

Richard Castle walked into his loft, spotting Alexis in the kitchen, tossing his keys on the counter before crossing over and giving his daughter a kiss on the top of her head. "Hey, pumpkin."

"Hey, dad." She frowned, spotting the front door slightly ajar. "Uh, dad? Where's Beckett?"

"About thaaat…" Castle cringed and turned to face the front door, purposefully avoiding Alexis' gaze – which was equal parts confused and accusatory – before leaning in to whisper out of the side of his mouth. "Promise not to freak…"

Before Alexis could answer, Castle cleared his throat. "Beckett!"

The door opened the rest of the way, and Kate Beckett walked into what was, for all intents and purposes, her new home, giving Alexis a sheepish smile and a wave. Alexis stared at her with a furrowed brow as Kate sat at the island in the middle of the kitchen – before movement back at the door caught her attention and…

"Wait…" Alexis blinked. "Um…dad…?"

Kate Beckett walked through the door again, only this time her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she was dressed like she had just stepped out of an episode of _Law & Order_. Alexis glared at her dad, mouth agape, before turning to the Kate seated beside her.

"Dad."

The other Kate shrugged her shoulders, joining the trio in the kitchen before taking her own seat.

"Dad…?"

"Alexis…"

"Dad, what the _hell_?!"

The other Kate heaved an exhausted sigh, running her fingers through her hair. "Glad I'm not the only one confused as hell by all this." She looked up at Alexis, giving her a sheepish grin. "Sorry, where are my manners? Kate Beckett."

Alexis frowned and shook her head. "No…" She pointed to her right. "_That's_ Kate Beckett."

Castle sighed, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the island. "They're both Kate Beckett, sweetie."

"But that's not possible!" Alexis grabbed her father's wrist, her eyes instantly going wide. "Unless…dad, that case…the one with copies of Esposito and Lanie…"

The Kate she knew shook her head. "It's not Tyson. He's dead and we did DNA. She's me."

Alexis shook her head. "Boy, I'm glad Gram's not here. She'd probably faint." The redhead looked over at her father, cocking her head to the side. "So…I'm sure you've got some explanation for all of this, right? Some wild theory about vortexes and alternate timelines?"

Castle shook his head and shrugged.

Kate – the Kate Alexis knew – placed a hand on the redhead's wrist, leaning in. "Apparently, there's a…world, reality, I don't know…where I'm a lawyer and my mom was never killed. I was in that world and I guess…" She shrugged, at a loss herself. This sounded really far-fetched. "…I guess we got swapped."

Alexis' frown deepened, and she looked at the other Kate. "Your mom's alive?"

The other Kate shook her head and huffed in disbelief. "Yeah, she, uh…" The image of Johanna's tombstone flashed in her head. "She was just elected Senator."

Alexis turned to her father again. It was weird seeing him at a loss like this – at least, as far as figuring out real-life mysteries. The look currently on Castle's face was usually one reserved for when he had writer's block.

"Dad…?"

Castle stood upright again, his eyes widening as if a light bulb had sprung to life in his head. He turned to Alexis with a dopey, lopsided grin on his face. "Pumpkin, remember those books we stored in the guest room?"

The redhead frowned. "The ones you bought on clearance that one year we were in the Hamptons?"

"Yes, those exactly! Can you get them for me?" He glanced at the two Becketts, who were giving identical looks that screamed _Richard Castle, just what exactly do you think you're playing at?_ It didn't matter how many times he saw the identical looks – they still freaked him out.

Even if some part of him was turned on a little.

"Some of those books deal with alternate realities, psychosis, things like that."

His Kate rolled her eyes. "Really, Castle?"

Castle shrugged. "You got any better ideas?"

She frowned as Alexis padded up the stairs into the guest room. Kate folded her arms across her chest, chewing on her lower lip and glancing at her doppelganger.

Truth be told…she didn't.


	20. Chapter 20: I've Got a Theory

_Richard Castle's office…_

Books were strewn about on Rchard Castle's desk. Open, stacked on top of one another, a pile on the right side of the desk teetering and threatening to tumble to the floor. Castle rubbing his temples as his eyes scanned yet another block of indecipherable, impossible-to-discern text, shaking his head.

He didn't remember research being this dull. Or pointless. He'd been holed up in this office for most of the night, pouring through book after book in hopes of finding something that might help him get Beckett – the _other_ Beckett – back home.

But what little he _could_ find seemed so far-fetched that even he couldn't believe it.

He sighed and glanced toward the door leading into his bedroom. The door was half-open, giving him a perfect view of his fiancée curled up against herself, fast asleep. Castle swallowed, tempted to give up for the night and join her.

He wondered how the other Beckett was sleeping.

A soft knock on the door leading into his office broke Castle's trance, and he looked up just in time to see his daughter slip into the room, careful to shut the door quietly behind her. Alexis gave her father a tired smile before crossing behind the desk and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, her chin resting on top of his head.

"Getting anywhere?"

Castle shook his head. "Rupert Giles, I am not." He looked up and clasped his hand against his daughter's wrists. "The other Kate asleep?"

Alexis shook her head. "The light's still on the guest room, and I saw her go in with a copy of _Wild Storm_."

Alexis let go of her grip on Castle, crossing back to the other side of the desk and taking a seat in one of the plush chairs. "Dad…" She cringed at the bags under his eyes. "What if she doesn't get back?"

"She has to." Castle didn't hesitate, stealing another glance at his bedroom. "I mean, I'm no expert on temporal rifts or alternate realities or…anything of the sort, really – but there can't be two Kate Becketts in this world.

"She _has_ to get back."

Alexis nodded, chewing on her lower lip. "Do you think there's another you? Where she's from?"

"I know there is." Castle sat back in his chair. "Kate told me. She said I was…unhappy. Writing vampire novels and just…going through the motions."

Alexis' eyebrows arched in a mixture of amusement and curiosity. She really couldn't help herself. "And…me?"

Castle couldn't help but smile, tired though it was. "There's another Alexis, too." He arched his brows to match hers. "With black-and-purple hair and a fiancée named Ashley."

Alexis blanched. "I'm still with him?!"

Castle shook his head, looking far too amused. "Her."

"Her…?" Alexis' furrowed brow instantly relaxed as she realized exactly what her father was telling her, straightening and swallowing. "Oh…"

Boy, the other Kate's world really was different.

"But hey." She smiled again. "Guess that means no Pi."

Castle rose from his desk, wandering behind the chair to grab and squeeze Alexis' shoulders. "You okay pumpkin?"

She frowned. "Yeah, why?"

"Just…" He sighed, taking the seat next to his daughter's. "It took a while for you get used to _one_ Kate Beckett in your life, and now there are two. I mean…I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."

"Well, it's weird, I won't lie." Alexis huffed and shook her head. "But…" She sat up a little straighter. "Remember when I was 12?"

Castle frowned. "Your comic book phase?"

"Yeah. There was this one I liked, called _What if…?_ It was basically Marvel AU."

"I remember those." Castle nodded. "What if Spider-Man joined the Fantastic Four? What if the Punisher had killed Daredevil? What if Legion had killed Magneto?"

"Right." Alexis sat up a little straighter, her voice more animated, even as she tried to keep it down so as not to wake the woman in the other room. "What was so great about them was that you could wander into this new world for a little while, but you could always go back."

"You think this whole thing is like an issue of _What if…?_ Like, what if Beckett and I never met?"

"That's my hope."

"Well, it's one of the better theories we've got so far." He sat back and stewed over it for a few moments before shaking his head. "But that still doesn't address how we get Beckett back to her world."

Alexis shrugged. "We don't even know how she got here."

"Kate mentioned an amulet." Castle stood, going back to his desk and flipping open his laptop. He swiped over the thumbpad before his _You should be writing_ screensaver could fully load. "Before she wound up back here."

Alexis joined her father, her hand on his shoulder.

Castle's fingers danced over the keyboard, the tapping of the keys filling the otherwise silent room. "I've got a theory…" He squinted at the screen. "If Kate could describe the amulet, maybe we could link it to some ancient civilization that believed in some of the less…linear aspects of time and space."

Alexis pointed at the screen. "There."

Castle squinted again, reading. "_Mayan artifact missing: amulet linked to alternate realities_."

The two exchanged curious glances before Castle shrugged and clicked the link.

* * *

><p><em>The other loft…<em>

Richard Castle considered his meeting with the Becketts a success. Not because they believed everything he said, but because they didn't toss him out on the sidewalk and call the psych ward on him.

Johanna and Jim would've been well within their rights to have Castle led away in a straitjacket. But they didn't. Maybe because it would've been too much of a hassle. Maybe because they sensed that things had been off with their daughter, and it was the closest thing they'd had to an explanation.

Castle sighed when he saw _Tainted Blood_ sitting on the end table. He missed Kate.

Wherever she was, he hoped she was happy again. Hell, he hoped _he_ was happy, because from the sound of things, the other Richard Castle had one hell of a life. Engaged to a fantastic woman who also happened to be his muse, living an exciting life where he helped save the world between writing bestsellers.

Bestsellers he actually enjoyed writing.

Castle wanted to read these Nikki Heat books. Clearly, they were better than his half-assed attempt at jumping on the _Twilight_ gravy train.

A knock at his door snapped Castle out of his trance, and he sighed as he crossed back to the foyer and turned the handle. He frowned at the sight of a tall man standing at his door in an impeccable suit and a badge on his hip.

"Can I help you?"

"Richard Castle?"

The writer nodded.

"Detective Demming, Missing Persons." He flashed his badge. "You're under arrest for the disappearance of Katherine Beckett. Turn around, Mr. Castle."


	21. Chapter 21: Friends in High Places

_**Author's Note: There is a small spoiler for the novel "Raging Heat" in this chapter - just as a heads-up.**_

* * *

><p><em>Some random cell…<em>

This wasn't Richard Castle's first time sitting in a jail cell, but it was by far his worst. Something about being locked up for something he didn't do sat wrong with the writer. He knew Kate's parents weren't going to believe him, but to go so far as to…it couldn't have been them that tipped off the police, could it?

Of course it was. Castle hadn't told anyone else, outside of Alexis and Ashley, and he knew neither of them would say anything to the cops.

Demming rubbed him the wrong way, too, but Castle couldn't figure out why. He'd been polite enough – as polite as one could be when they were arresting someone. At least Castle was in this cell by himself, instead of trying to find some empty space next to drunkards sleeping it off and assorted others who were being held for whatever reason.

He heard footsteps approaching, and Castle wondered if _finally_ he was going to be brought in for questioning. He sighed and folded his arms over his chest, furrowing his brow when he saw who approached the bars.

It wasn't Demming. Not in _that_ suit.

"Richard Castle?"

Castle cocked his head to the side. "Yeah?" The man standing on the other side of the bars looked familiar, with his fine-tailored three-piece, American flag pin on the lapel, and perfectly coifed hair.

The man offered a plastic smile. "William Bracken."

Oh yeah…_him_. The former Senator – or, depending on the universe, the morally corrupt bastard who was responsible for the murder of Johanna Beckett and a handful of others. Castle never thought he could feel such hate and disgust for someone he'd never met, yet here he was, trying to keep his cool – lest he look any crazier than he already did.

"I know I've got friends in high places." Castle smirked. "But you're not one of them."

"I could be." Bracken wrapped his left hand over a bar, cocking his head to the side. "I don't believe you have anything to do with Katherine's disappearance."

_Katherine_. So formal. So foreign to Castle. He still knew her as Kate, or Beckett. The pang of longing hit him again, and the writer's eyes fell to the floor. He swallowed and forced himself to meet Bracken's gaze.

"So I guess that means you didn't call Demming."

Bracken's face contorted in disgust. "Demming's a tool. Wouldn't know how to wipe his ass if you didn't hand him a roll of toilet paper." Bracken glanced over his shoulder. "Katherine came to see me a few nights ago. Making _no_ sense at all, might I add."

Curiosity and dread replaced the longing inside Castle, and he sat up a little straighter. She hadn't told him about seeing Bracken; only Johanna.

"She _swore_ up and down that her mother had been murdered, and that I was responsible for it." Bracken's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you? Because frankly, Richard, that sounds like it could be the premise for one of your books."

"She, uh…" Castle nodded. "She came to me three days ago. Acted like we knew each other. When she told me her name was Beckett, I showed her the paper – the one with her mom on the front page. She looked like she'd seen a ghost."

Bracken nodded. "She mentioned that she was supposed to marry you."

Castle smiled, but there was a sadness to it. "She told me she was a homicide cop, that we'd been together for years…" He shook his head. "It sounded like a really, really good life…you know, except for the murder and conspiracy bit."

Bracken folded his arms over his chest. "You believed her."

"I did." The writer stood and slid his hands into his pockets. "She was wearing a fancy engagement – definitely something within my price range – and she said at one point she'd been shot in the chest by a sniper. She even showed me the scar."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"Yesterday." Castle sighed. Then his gaze lifted and his eyes widened, as if he remembered something. "Oh, before she left, she, uh…she left me a note, tucked in one of my books. Something about going home and telling me that I had to find 'the other her'."

Bracken frowned. "We're not talking alternate universes and parallel timelines are we?" The former Senator shook his head. "Because I've seen _Fringe_, Mr. Castle, and I'm just now getting rid of my headache."

Castle shrugged. "Well, other than psychosis, what other explanation is there?"

Bracken cursed under his breath. He hated to admit it, but the writer had a point. Not only that, but Bracken's personal issues with Johanna aside, he didn't want anything to happen to her only daughter. Crazy as everything sounded, he believed Castle wasn't responsible for whatever happened to Kate.

"I can get you out of here." Bracken offered.

Castle's brow arched. "And in return?"

"Find Kate." Bracken nodded once. "Johanna and I may be political enemies, but no one deserves to fear for their child's safety."

* * *

><p><em>Richard Castle's loft…<em>

The sound of a book being plopped down onto the surface of his desk broke Richard Castle out of his writing-induced trance, and he looked up to see Kate Beckett – the _other_ Beckett – standing on the other side, a knowing grin on her face.

His eyes flickered downward to find a copy of _Raging Heat_.

"Please tell me Nikki says yes."

"Funny you should mention that." Castle closed his laptop and sank back in his seat. "I was just writing the next book."

Beckett's smile grew. "And…?"

"_And_ telling you would amount to a spoiler." Castle rested his hands on the back of his head, arching his brows.

"Well, with any luck, I'll be back in _my_ world by the time the next book is published." Beckett folded her arms and took the seat across from Castle's desk. She still wore her hair in a ponytail – though Castle figured that was probably so she could differentiate herself from Kate.

"Fair point." Castle sat up a little straighter. "Well…what do you think she says?"

Beckett rolled her eyes with a grin. "I think she says yes."

Castle offered a smug grin. "I think you think right."

"I mean…" Beckett's eyes focused on a random spot on the desk. "_I_ said yes, so I don't think my literary counterpart would say no."

"Also a fair point."

Silence fell over them for a few moments, and it was far too awkward for Castle's liking. He'd grown used to silences with Kate in recent months, finding that his constant need for yammering had its time and place. But with this Beckett, the silences were suffocating. So many things left unsaid, so many questions unanswered.

"So…" He cleared his throat. "Where's Kate?"

"Work." Beckett nodded. "A body dropped near Central Park." Beckett shook her head. "She seemed pretty excited to get out of here."

"I'm sure it's not you." Castle hoped to whatever god was out there he was reassuring her, because truth be told, there were times he wanted to jet, too. Hell, at this point, a meeting with Gina would be a welcome reprieve. "It's just…the past few days have been weird for her. I'm sure she just wants a little slice of normal right now."

Beckett stood with an exhausted sigh, shaking her head. "All I know is, when I get back where I belong, the first thing I'm gonna do is give my mom a big bear hug." She smirked. "And then I'm gonna drink myself under a table."

Castle watched Beckett walk out of his office, sighing and running a hand through his hair as he sank back into his chair. He was exhausted, in spite of the previous night's sleep. The mystery of the two Becketts was starting to get on _his_ nerves – which was saying something, considering the weirder the case, the more he enjoyed it.

But since Kate's plea to him – _Marry me_ – Castle wanted nothing more than to get the other Beckett back to her own reality, and the fact that he was coming up empty was unsettling. Castle had wasted enough time not making Kate his wife; he didn't want to wait another day.

Mostly because there was no telling when something would threaten to take it all away again.


	22. Chapter 22: Circumstantial

_The Becketts' house…_

The alarm sounded, announcing that it was already seven in the morning, and Kate Beckett rolled over with a groan of protest. It took three swats for her to turn off the alarm, before tossing the covers off of herself and reluctantly rising to her feet. She stretched and yawned, blinking several times before cocking her head to the side.

_Wait a minute…_ This wasn't the guest room in Richard Castle's loft. Kate glanced over her shoulder at the bed. The nightstand…then to the windows and the off-white curtains she remembered from her childhood.

Cold realization washed over her, and Kate opened the door to the hallway before stopping at the threshold with a gasp. Home.

She was _home_.

Overwhelmed with both relief and disappointment, Kate padded down the stairs into the foyer leading into the living room, grabbing the newspaper on the floor. Dated three days after the day she woke in Castle's bed, confused and angry.

Her eyes scanned over the rows of text, before a blurb at the bottom of the page caught her attention. The headlight brought her jaw to a drop, eyes wide with disbelief. _Mystery writer arrested, tied to Beckett disappearance_.

She speed-read the article, shaking her head. "The hell…?"

Kate heard commotion in the kitchen, tucking the paper under her left arm before slowly making her way through the spacious living room. The Becketts weren't the traditional definition of rich, but Johanna and Jim's dual careers in law made for a comfortable living – in more ways than one.

She smiled at the ceramic family of elephants positioned atop the fireplace before entering the kitchen, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Johanna at the stove, scrambling a pan full of eggs.

"Mom?"

Johanna turned on a dime, her eyes wide before she dropped the spatula and raced to her daughter, throwing her arms around Kate's shoulders and rocking her back and forth with an excited yelp. Kate returned the hug with a grin, though she couldn't fight off the tears running down her cheeks.

"You're alright!" Johanna sniffled, ending the hug but keeping her hands on Kate's shoulders. "Oh, Katie, we were so worried! What happened?"

Another smile, though this one morphed into a grimace as Kate shook her head. "I…I don't know, mom." She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "It…kind of feels like I just woke up from a really weird dream."

Johanna followed Kate's left hand, noticing there was no ring. So either both Jim and Mr. Castle had imagined that detail, or…she shook her head. No use in thinking of those things right now. Not with her daughter back and safe.

"Mom?" Kate bit her lip. "Did you hear about Mr. Castle?"

Johanna frowned, her head tilted. "The author?"

Kate nodded. "This morning's paper said he's been arrested." Another lip bite, handing the paper to her mother. "Related to my disappearance."

Johanna read the article with the same confused expression on her face that Kate had when she read it. She shook her head and tossed the paper onto the counter, sighing and returning to the stove to turn off the heat and remove the pan before the eggs started burning.

"A heads-up from Demming would've been nice." Johanna rolled her eyes. "We haven't heard from him since the initial interview after you were reported missing." Moving to the coffee machine, Johanna readied herself a mug; this was starting to feel like a three-mug kind of day.

She turned around and regarded her daughter. "Mr. Castle came to my office yesterday." She sipped at her coffee, cringing at how hot it still was. "Had some…_interesting_ things to say."

Kate nodded, feeling an unexpected pang of longing.

"Let me guess…" She shook her head. "I came to his door, spouting off all kinds of nonsense, making no sense."

"More or less." Johanna shook her head. "I should've known something was off the other day when you came to see me."

Surprise washed over Kate, though she had no idea why. _Of course_ the other Kate would pay Johanna a visit. She lived without her mother for so many years in that other reality, she would never give up the chance to see her mother alive again.

"Katie, what's going on?"

Kate shook her head and shrugged. "I honestly don't know." She approached her mom and kissed her cheek. "But I promise, once I figure this all out, I'll tell you everything. Okay?"

Johanna, skeptical and confused, nonetheless nodded.

"Call dad, tell him I'm okay." Kate squeezed her mother's wrist. "I have to go take care of something real quick."

* * *

><p><em>Downtown Manhattan…<em>

William Bracken walked down the sidewalk with a purpose, his red tie tucked into his starched white shirt so it wouldn't be whipped around by the wind funneling into the tunnels created by the city's skyscrapers. Smartphone clutched to his ear, Bracken clenched his jaw and shook his head.

"No, Commissioner Gates, you don't understand." His nostrils flared. "All of the evidence against Mr. Castle is circumstantial, and even that is a stretch. It was one thing for you to ignore Demming's ineptitude when you were in Internal Affairs, foaming at the mouth to climb the career ladder, but now that you're at the head desk, every single NYPD fuck-up rests squarely in your well-dressed lap."

Ducking into the lobby of a random office building, Bracken shook his head. This wasn't the first time he had butted heads with the woman they called _Iron Gates_ – they were frequent adversaries in his days in the district attorney's office.

"Don't you _dare_, Commissioner! Raglan was _your_ screw-up, not mine!"

Bracken paced back and forth, clutching so tightly to his phone that his knuckles turned white. "What, so just because I lost an election, I can't help people? Your _clown_ at the 54th is busting the balls of the wrong man! I remember when that actually meant something to you."

Bracken snarled, though he knew Gates couldn't see it, pushing his way out the door and back out onto the sidewalk. He resumed his pacing, his anger boiling over to the point where he couldn't hide it anymore. He could feel the concerned stares of on-lookers as they passed.

"Well, imagine how the news will react when they find out you are knowingly holding an innocent man against his will." He smirked and shook his head. "I thought you knew me better than that, Victoria."

No sooner had Bracken ended the call, a gunshot echoed against the skyscrapers, sending the masses scrambling for cover in a panic.

* * *

><p><em>Some random cell…<em>

Richard Castle was bored.

How long did it take William Bracken to pull those strings, anyway? No wonder he lost the election. Then again, the man had been a Senator. Glaciers moved at a faster pace than proceedings in the U.S. Senate.

Hurried footsteps echo down the hall, and Castle stands purely on instinct. The steps were growing louder, and Castle frowned. It sounded like heels – unless there was something about Bracken's wardrobe that had been kept secret, Castle doubted this was his surprise benefactor coming to spring him out.

Sure enough, a woman appeared at the bars, her hair in a ponytail and a black ballcap pushed down over her eyes. Castle cocked his head to the side, nonetheless sensing something familiar about his visitor.

The woman grabbed the bars with both hands.

"Richard Castle?"

He swallowed. "Yeah?"

The woman looked over her shoulder before turning back to Castle and removing the ball cap. Castle took a step back with a gasp, his mouth curling into a sideways grin all on its own. It definitely wasn't Bracken standing there.

No, this was _so_ much better.

"Beckett?"

Kate smiled. "Assistant District Attorney Katherine Beckett."

Castle's smile broadened and he approached the bars, wrapping his hands around them so his fingers brushed against hers. They locked eyes briefly, both smiling before the writer cleared his throat.

"I was, uh…I was told to find you."

"And it looks like I found you." Kate checked over her shoulder again. "I'm gonna get you out of here, okay?"

Castle frowned. "How?"

"I'm the Assistant DA." Kate shrugged and rolled her eyes with a toothy grin. "I can just tell them to drop the charges. Especially since I'm no longer missing."

Castle smiled, but it faded once a TV on the wall in the corner blared with a breaking news bulletin. They both lifted their gazes to the monitor as the perfectly-coiffed anchor man stared emotionless into the camera.

_Breaking news out of Manhattan, as former Senator William Bracken has been murdered. Eyewitness accounts claim Bracken was exiting an office building in Manhattan this afternoon while talking on his phone, before a masked man approached him and shot him in the forehead. EMTs say Bracken was dead when they arrived, and Commissioner Victoria Gates says the NYPD is already pursuing a lead._

Castle and Kate exchanged a worried glance.

_This just in from the NYPD: a police-issued handgun and badge were found on the scene. No details at this point as to whom those items belong._


	23. Chapter 23: Aftermath

_Commissioner Gates' office…_

Kate Beckett didn't even bother knocking on the door before she and the newly-released Richard Castle pushed into Victoria Gates' office. She couldn't explain why, but a sense of dread wore heavy in her gut since news of Bracken's murder broke. If Kate had to guess, each precinct was probably scrambling right now, and it was only a matter of time before the FBI got involved.

William Bracken was no longer an elected official, but his murder was still a big deal – as evidenced by the fact that Commissioner Gates was glued to her leather chair, the receiver of her phone clutched against her ear. The smartphone on her desk seemed to vibrate non-stop.

Gates held up a finger, rolling her eyes. "Yes, sir. I understand, Mayor."

Hanging up the phone with a sigh, gates closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. The desk phone rang again, but when Gates picked up the receiver, she slammed it down again almost immediately. It was out of character for her, but she needed a few moments without something attached to her ear.

"Ms. Beckett." Gates sank back into her chair. "Welcome back. Glad to see you alive and in one piece."

"Thank you, sir."

Gates' eyes moved to the man standing behind Beckett, frowning and cocking her head to the side. "And who is this, Ms. Beckett?"

"Richard Castle." The writer extended his arm for a handshake…only to recoil with a sheepish grin when all Gates did was look at his hand.

"And what can I do for you?" Gates stood, crossing to the door to her office and locking it. "Keep in mind that I'm short on time. A dead former Senator will have this city crawling with feds before I even have a chance to brush my teeth."

"Sir, it's about Detective Demming." Beckett sat in one of the leather chairs across from Gates' desk. "I feel like he's demonstrated a level of incompetence worthy of calling his standing as Detective into question."

"Ah, yes." Gates sighed. "More 'Demming is an idiot' complaints."

Castle frowned. "More?"

"Before he was shot…" Gates frowned at Castle. "I was on the phone with Bracken. He was arguing on _your_ behalf, Mr. Castle. He said Demming had no case against you and that I should waive all charges."

"Which I took care of, sir." Beckett shrugged. "Can't hold Mr. Castle for kidnapping if the person he allegedly kidnapped is back and can vouch for the fact that he didn't kidnap them."

Before Gates could respond, her desk phone rang again. She rolled her eyes and grabbed the receiver, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Commissioner Gates." Her shoulders hunched immediately, shooting a look of dread Beckett's way. "Captain McNulty."

Gates' frown deepened and she jotted something down on her notepad. "Are you sure?"

Hanging up with a sigh, gates ran her hands through her hair before rubbing circles over her temples. Castle and Beckett exchanged a glance before the Assistant DA cocked her head to the side. "Sir?"

"This can't be right." Gates shook her head. "They ran the badge number through the NYPD database – and got nothing."

Castle frowned. "Are we sure it was an NYPD badge?"

Gated nodded. "It was being processed at the Twelfth. Captain McNulty swears it's one of ours."

"Counterfeit?"

"CSU's going to process it for forgeries, but as far as we can tell, it's the genuine article."

Before he could stop himself, Castle stepped forward. "What's the number?" Even as he spoke the words, Castle knew the commissioner would never give him that information. She probably wouldn't even give Beckett that information, but definitely not a private citizen like him.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you, Mr. Castle." Gates shook her head.

Standing, Beckett let her eyes dance down toward the surface of Gates' desk, finding the notepad and studying the number hastily jotted onto the paper. Content in knowing she had the number memorized, she looked back up at Commissioner Gates.

"You're right, sir. Our complaint against Demming can wait until the Bracken investigation is complete." She looked over her shoulder. "Let's go, Castle."

* * *

><p><em>Downtown…<em>

Once they were back on the street, Beckett grabbed Castle by the wrist and led him down a block before they ducked into an alley. Glancing over her shoulder, confident that no one saw them, Beckett turned her attention back to the writer – who looked almost exactly like the man she'd spent the last few days with, other than the bags under his eyes.

"Something's wrong." She shook her head. "Mr. Castle—"

"Call me Rick."

"Rick." Beckett sighed and shook her head. "This might sound really strange, but I have to ask…was there another me? You know, _here_?"

Castle nodded.

"Let me guess…homicide detective. Became a cop after Johanna was murdered. William Bracken was the one responsible."

"Yeah." A sheepish smile crept onto Castle's face. Truth was, he had missed that Kate Beckett, and if this Kate Beckett was anything like her, then Castle hoped the happy ending that awaited the pair in their realm was also in his future.

"I'm thinking I was where she's supposed to be." Kate swallowed, realizing how crazy that sounded. "I met you – the other you, I mean. You two were engaged, and you wrote a series of novels based on her."

"Nikki Heat." The smile on Castle's face grew, but there was still a sadness to it.

"Yeah." Her smile matched his. "I don't know how I got there, or how I got back, but…" She sighed. There was something she wanted so badly to say, but given Bracken's murder, and everything surrounding it, she didn't think now was the time…so she tried a different tactic.

"What if Bracken's murder is connected?"

Castle frowned and chewed on his lip, clearly lost in his own thought. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but the truth was, it was better than any theory he could come up with. Then again, he'd just spent a day and a half in a jail cell and missing a person who didn't even belong in his reality, so he wasn't really sure he could be counted on for rational thought.

"I saw the badge number," Beckett admitted. "I glanced down at the paper."

"And?"

"41319." Beckett sighed. "My badge number. _Her_, I mean…"

Castle frowned. "What would _her_ badge be doing _here_?" The writer shook his head. "When she first came to my loft, and didn't know she wasn't in her own reality, Kate asked where her badge and gun were. So she didn't have them here with her."

Beckett nodded. "And when I first woke up in your loft – the other you – I found a badge and gun and was convinced he stole them. So I confiscated them and turned them in."

Castle's face brightened. "Well, maybe they were returned to her."

"And on my last night there, she left go to work a case." Beckett shook her head. "They wouldn't let her work a crime scene if she didn't have her badge, would they?"

Castle sighed. "So we're right back to counterfeit."

"And that doesn't even account for the gun." Beckett sighed and shook her head as they left the alley. "This is the sort of case that would give me an ulcer if it showed up on my desk."

"And this is the sort of story my publisher would toss in the trash." Castle shook his head. "Still, I can't help but wonder what the truth of it all is. Like…if we untangle the string, where would it lead us?"

"Mr. Castle, are you suggesting we investigate William Bracken's murder?"

Castle shrugged. "Why not?"

"Well…" She couldn't help the smile creeping onto her face, even as she shook her head and rolled her eyes. "We're not investigators, for one thing."

"Neither is Demming."

She laughed and shook her head again. Truth be told, she was curious too…and if there was a chance she could also uncover what made her transport to an entirely different reality – and back – then that would be a pleasant side effect.

But still, investigating a murder…where would she even start?

Castle grabbed his phone out of his pocket and pressed the device to his ear. "Alexis!" He gave Beckett a knowing smile. "Listen, pumpkin…do me a favor, okay? Go through the loft and check for an NYPD badge and gun. Check _everywhere_. Let me know if you find it.

"I'll explain when I get home, I promise."


	24. Chapter 24: Inspiration

_Canon reality…_

As far as murder cases went, the one Kate Beckett and the boys had worked on that day had been a snap. Then again, it helped when the prime suspect confessed after a round of good cop/bad cop. It disturbed Kate just how good Ryan and Esposito were at that game.

She actually managed to get home while the sun was still up, a rare feat in Kate's line of work. She pushed the door open and stepped into her fiancé's loft, smiling when the familiar, non-rhythmic tapping coming from Richard Castle's office.

The sound of him writing was one of the most comforting sounds she could think of, and she was particularly glad to hear it again after her recent ordeal.

Removing her coat, and placing it on the handrail of the stairs, Kate crossed into the living room. She unholstered her gun and slipped her badge off of her belt, laying both on the nearby coffee table before slipping through the door into her lover's office.

Sure enough, there he was at his desk, brow furrowed in concentration. His broad arms flexed as his hands worked their magic over the keyboard, the sound of his fingers tapping against the keys filling the room. She loved the sight of him writing almost as much as the sound, and now more than ever, she loved that when he wrote, he did so to share their story with the world.

Normally, Castle would be so in the zone, so to speak, that he wouldn't notice Kate's presence, and she would be content to let him be until he got out whatever he needed to get out. But after Kate had stood there for a few minutes, he stopped, looked up, and smiled.

"Beckett!" He saved the document and rose from his chair. "You're home early."

"Easy case today." She smiled when she felt his lips on the top of her head. She'd never get used to those sorts of kisses. "I love it when we get a confession."

"Oh, those are no fun," Castle teased as they made their way to the kitchen. "Well, there was that one time, when three people all confessed to the same murder…"

Kate laughed and rolled her eyes, accepting the bottled water when Castle handed it to her, twisting the cap and taking a long swig. "So…" Her smile broadened. "I figured when you said you had to do some writing today that I'd find you wasting time on Facebook. Nikki Heat inspire you again?"

"Mm. Nikki Heat _always_ inspires me." He wrapped an arm around Kate's waist, pulling her flush against him and devouring her in a slow, hungry kiss. He broke the kiss far sooner than Kate wanted, but he kept her pressed against him. "Actually, though, this is something else."

Kate frowned in confusion. "Something else?"

"I was thinking…" Castle shrugged. "If Patterson can publish a thousand books a year, why can't I?"

Kate smirked. "Because he's not engaged and consulting with the NYPD?"

"Fair point." Castle took the bottle out of Kate's hand and took a swig of his own. "No, trust me, the next Nikki Heat book is well underway, but…" He sat at the island in the middle of the kitchen, leaning his elbows on the surface. "This whole…you there and the other you here thing sparked something."

Kate hung on every word, mostly because she wasn't used to Castle sharing his process like this. He never told her what the Nikki Heat books were about while he was writing them, and she never pried – partly out of respect for his creative process and partly because she wanted to go into each book based on her with open eyes.

In her mind, it helped her enjoy the books more.

"So I thought…instead of whisking Nikki away into an alternate reality – since that's not really in form with the genre – why not just…start a new book entirely?"

Kate's eyebrows arched. "New book."

Castle strode back to his office, motioning for Kate to join him. She followed with a furrowed brow, surprised that he was going to let her see his work. He never showed her his unfinished work; the closest he had come was when he got her an advance copy of _Heat Wave_ – after she practically demanded to see it.

Once they were in his office again, Castle turned the laptop so Kate could see the screen, a proud, self-satisfied grin on his face. She read the words, biting her lower lip. It was good. _Really_ good.

Probably some of his best work.

"Think _Fringe_ meets _Law & Order_." Castle was practically beaming at this point. "FBI agent Taylor McBride finds himself in an entirely different world, one where his parents are still alive, one where he lived out his childhood dream of playing professional baseball."

"Meanwhile…"

"But it pulls him away from his fiancée, and while he's there, McBride witnesses the murder of one Earl Racket, the man – in his reality – who was responsible for his parents' death."

"I love it so far, babe." Kate wrapped her arms around Castle's neck from behind, kissing his cheek before leaning her head against his. "You gonna publish it, or is this just…writing to get it out?"

"Not sure." Castle leaned against his fiancée. "Black Pawn has mentioned wanting me to branch out a little bit, but the sales for _Raging Heat_ have been so strong that they're not really pressuring me." He frowned. "Yet."

Kate squeezed Castle before turning to his front so she could sit in his lap, her arms still wrapped around his neck. She looked into his eyes as Castle brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and Kate smiled.

"So…" Her forehead rested against his. "Now that things are back to normal…"

He smiled in return, his arms slipping around her waist. "Just tell me when and where, Kate."

"The Hamptons." She kissed him. "The rooftop." Another kiss. "Sunset."

He moaned against her lips before breaking the kiss. "I like the sound of that."

"Just us, Martha, Alexis, and my dad."

Castle kissed Kate again. "Even better."

They kissed again, deeper this time, both of them tightening their hold on one another. The kiss eventually broke, and the two closed their eyes, merely enjoying each other's company and the closeness of their bodies.

"This weekend, Kate?"

Kate kissed him again, before giving Castle one of those big, toothy smiles he loved so much. "It's perfect."

* * *

><p><em>The other reality…<em>

"Alright, so what do we know?"

Castle sighed as they walked into his loft, shaking his head and peeling off his coat. "Other than the fact that a former Senator is dead and the badge found on his body belongs to the NYPD, but not to any of the NYPD's detectives?"

"Yeah…" Kate sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "We pretty much are nowhere, aren't we?"

"And before we know it…" Castle approached Kate before they flopped down onto his sofa, their bodies sinking into the lush cushions. "The feds will swarm into New York like a plague of locusts and what little information we have will be all we get…because if they won't share with the NYPD, they damn sure won't share with us and god I wish I could kiss you right now."

Castle's words didn't register at first, as Kate had been too busy trying to concentrate of his theorizing/ranting, but eventually, it dawned on her just what the writer had said. She looked at Castle, part aghast, part confused, and part intrigued, shaking her head. "Castle…"

"Sorry." He cringed and put his hands up in a defensive posture. "I shouldn't have…it's just…"

"You felt a connection with me." Kate chewed on her lower lip. "The other me."

"Yeah." Castle sat back, a sheepish look on his face. "She told me about her relationship with the other me, and it sounded so nice, so…_extraordinary_ that…"

"You're telling me." Kate shook her head. "I felt the same way."

"So…" Castle sat up, looking Kate in the eye. "What should we do about this?"

Kate sat back and shook her head, honestly wondering the same thing. She thought being back in her own reality would cure the constant confusion, but the fact of the matter was, she was even more confused than before.

She looked at the author seated next to her, fighting the urge to smile. "Tell you what, Mr. Castle. We figure out who killed Bracken, then we'll talk about it."

It wasn't the answer Castle wanted, but to be perfectly frank, it was far better than the answer he had expected. Given how dull and pointless much of his life had become over the years, even the slightest hint of hope for a better future was enough for him to grasp at – even if it didn't work out, he at least had something other than another deadline to look forward to.

"Then let's figure this thing out."


	25. Chapter 25: Jigsaw

_The other reality…_

A large flatscreen sat in the corner of Richard Castle's office, but truth be told, he hadn't used it since his last Derrick Storm novel. Not because it didn't work, but because he hadn't put nearly as much effort into his new venture. It still boggled Castle's mind how _Tainted Blood_ became so popular because, even by his own admission, it was far from his best work.

But the checks were still clearing, and Black Pawn was still hounding him for a new manuscript, so apparently, he'd done something right.

He turned on the monitor as Kate Beckett sat in one of the chairs across from his desk, wiping off the screen with the back of his shirt sleeve. He cringed at just how much dust had accumulated on the screen, hoping she wouldn't notice.

"Alright…" He sighed and ran his hand over his face. "Here's what we know so far…two days ago, former Senator William Bracken was shot, point blank, in the forehead on a crowded street in Manhattan. The assailant, dressed from head to toe in black, left behind no physical evidence short of an NYPD badge and state-issued handgun."

Kate stood, folding her arms over her chest. "Ballistics were a match to the gun, but the NYPD has yet to determine to whom the badge and the gun belong."

"Because the badge number isn't in the NYPD database."

"And so far, CSU's tests for forgeries on the badge have come up empty."

"As have DNA traces on the murder weapon and subsequent analysis of Bracken's body."

Kate couldn't hide the smile on her face. "Not bad for two people who aren't licensed investigators."

"Yeah, well…" Castle shrugged. "Between your law enforcement contacts and a couple favors I called in from people I met in my Derrick Storm days…"

The two shared a brief smile before Kate took a step closer, letting her hand brush ever so slightly against his. Her eyes were trained on the flatscreen, where Castle had created a diagram of sorts, outlining everything they knew to that point.

Their hands brushed again before Castle cleared his throat and approached the monitor. "What if…" He cocked his head to the side as Kate arched a brow. "We've been assuming that the badge and the gun would belong to the same person. But what if they don't?"

Kate frowned. "Seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to just to murder a guy."

"Someone as well-known and high-profile as Bracken, you'd have to go through a lot of trouble." Castle shook his head. "Especially if the killing was meant to deliver a message."

"A message?"

"Think about it." Castle sat on the edge of his desk, folding his arms over his chest. "Bracken had a list of enemies long enough that if investigators went on that alone, they'd spend about three months in Interrogation. And I'm still not convinced the badge number is a coincidence."

"Really." Another can't-help-it grin spread across Kate's face. "And what's your proof?"

"None." Castle shrugged. "Other than the fact that I don't believe in coincidence, _and_ this makes for one hell of a story."

"That may be, Castle, but some of us live in the land of proof."

"Alright, then what's your theory?" Castle was challenging her, but he seemed to be enjoying himself in the process, if the quirked eyebrow was any indication. "How do you account for the badge that apparently belongs to your alter ego – despite the fact that we can both verify that she did not misplace it?"

"I keep going back to forgery." Kate sighed. "But unless CSU comes through on that…"

"We're right back to square one." His scowl faded away and his eyes brightened. "Or maybe we're not!"

Kate frowned. "Huh?"

"There's one very important piece we're missing here." Castle approached the flatscreen again, tapping on the monitor until Bracken's head shot was front and center. "What if the other Beckett's badge was _meant _to be there?"

"Why would—" Her eyes widened as well. "In her reality, Bracken was the man responsible for Johanna's murder!" Her features morphed into a scowl again. "But wait, no…both she and the other Castle told me that he'd been arrested. Case closed."

"So who would want to re-open that chapter of her life, and do so by jumping into a completely different reality to frame her for a murder she doesn't even know she's been accused of committing?"

Kate sat in the chair again, hands on her temples. "I have a headache…"

"What else do we know about Katherine Beckett?" He cringed. "The…other one."

"Just the basics." Kate shook her head. "Homicide cop, lost her mom, engaged to a ruggedly handsome mystery writer…"

"I really am ruggedly handsome, aren't I?"

Kate laughed in spite of herself, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear – but not before twirling it around her finger. "But what about enemies? Other than Bracken?"

Castle shook his head. "She never said anything to me."

Kate stood up, her eyes wide, as if the lightbulb in her head had just lit up for the first time in years. "Oh! Uh…" She waved her hands in front of her face and started pacing. "When I was…_there_, I remember them talking about a…someone named Jerry Tyson?"

"Jerry Tyson?"

"Yeah, I don't know anything more than that, but…" Kate sighed. "When I heard the name, the other Castle went white as a sheet. Whoever Jerry Tyson is, he scares them in a way that not even Bracken could."

"Anything else you overheard?"

"Uhh…" Kate chewed on her lower lip, squinting. "There was also a Kelly…Kelly…Kelly something. Last name started with an N, I think."

"Nieman?"

"Yeah, I think that's it."

Castle brushed past Kate and approached his bookshelf, browsing through a few of the rows before grabbing a book and handing it to her. "Jerry Tyson was a nationally-renowned serial killer about five or six year ago. Kelly Nieman was his wife and accomplice."

Kate took the book and studied the front cover with a frown. It was black, and in bold, all-capital white letters, the title read _3XK: How Jerry Tyson Terrorized a Nation and Eluded Authorities_.

"Three years ago, the FBI found Tyson hung to death in a farmhouse outside of Des Moines." Castle sat on the edge of his desk again. "Kelly had killed him, same M.O. he used and all, and fled the country. Since then, unconfirmed reports of Tyson-style murders have come in worldwide, but to this point, Nieman has proven just as elusive as her husband."

"And if their Tyson's as bad as this Tyson…"

"Then maybe my crazy theory's not looking so crazy."

"Yeah, but…" Kate tossed the book onto the desk and sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose. "What can we do about this? It's not like we can just run to the authorities and tell them all this. They'll lead us away in strait jackets.

Castle shook his head. "The feds are here by now. We wouldn't even get close enough to tell the story in the first place."

"So what do we do?"

Castle shrugged before glancing down at his watch. "I don't know about me, but don't your folks have that benefit gala tonight? The one your mother RSVP'd all three of you for?"

"Crap!" Beckett shot upright, her eyes wide and full of panic, as she grabbed her purse from the floor and hastily slung it over her shoulder. She rushed for the door, before stopping and turning around to approach Castle again.

Before he could react, she grabbed his chin and gave him a quick kiss. His arms went for her shoulders, but she parted their lips before he could hope to truly taste her, and he didn't think he could hide the disappointment if he tried.

But once he saw the smile on her face, the disappointment left.

"Tomorrow, Castle?"

A sideways grin crept onto his face. "Tomorrow, Beckett."

He watched Kate leave his office, waiting until her heard the front door to his loft shut before the smile on his face grew even more. Castle sucked in a breath, both hands roaming over his face and his tongue glided over his lips.

So that was what Beckett tasted like. More and more, he was starting to see why his alter ego had been so head-over-heels for her.


	26. Chapter 26: Triplicate

_**Author's note: I'll be on hiatus until Dec. 27 because of lack of internet access, but regular updates will resume after that. Happy Holidays, everyone! Please keep reading and reviewing!**_

* * *

><p><em>Canon reality…<em>

Richard Castle sat at his desk, laptop open but untouched. He sat back in his chair, the tuxedo he was planning to wear later that weekend already on him. Truth was, Castle was so anxious to finally get married that if he had to spend the next three days in his tuxedo, he wouldn't complain.

Truth be told, he should probably be working on his manuscript – Black Pawn wanted it within the next two weeks – but he was too preoccupied with the upcoming festivities, not to mention the events of the past several days.

While he waited for Kate to return from a last-minute grocery run with Alexis, Castle examined his fiancée's badge. It still amazed him how he wound up in love with someone as badass as Kate Beckett – and it amazed him even more that she loved him back. What started as a professional curiosity and the next chapter in his life as a bestselling author had turned into a love story for the ages.

A story he gladly recounted for his legions of fans.

Studying the handheld plaque in his hand, Castle frowned. Something seemed off about it. The coloring was a little strange, and the font of her badge number didn't look quite right. Maybe it was just the lack of light in his office – truth be told, Castle didn't notice the difference himself upon first glance.

But once he turned the light on and leaned in to study even further…

The sound of the door to his loft opening and closing startled Castle, and he swallowed as he heard his daughter and fiancée chatting in the other room. He leaned back in his seat, just as Kate walked into the office with the smile she reserved only for him.

"Hey, babe." Her smile disappeared when she saw her badge in his hand and the tux he was wearing. "What's…going on?"

"Oh…" He gave that sheepish, sideways grin when she always caught him doing something out of the ordinary – which was quite often. "Just amazed at the fact that I'm days away from marrying a badass."

Her smile returned, and Kate crossed to the other side of the desk before straddling Castle's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a deep, long kiss. They hummed against each other's lips before she broke the kiss and ran a finger along his hairline. Just days ago, she was in a strange world where nothing was right, and now she was days away from putting everything behind her.

The disappearance, the awkwardness, the alternate reality…all of it.

They kissed again before Kate took the badge from her fiancé. He was trying to think of a not-awkward way to tell Kate about his hunch, but as the badge passed under the light and he saw the expression on her face change, he figured maybe he wouldn't have to.

"Castle…"

Kate came down off Castle's lap before bending at the waist over his desk, holding her badge under the light. He scooted closer in his chair, his eyes focused on the gold. "You see it too?" When Kate frowned at him, he nodded. "Before you walked in, I'd just noticed that something was…off."

Kate's brow furrowed. "It's like the color's faded or something." She bounced the badge in her palm, biting on her lower lip. "It's also not quite as heavy. It's not terribly noticeable, but…"

Carefully taking the badge from Kate, Castle grabbed a nearby cloth and window cleaner. He sprayed the badge before Kate could protest, furrowing his brow as he brushed the cloth over the surface of the badge…only to gasp when he discovered the color being wiped away, giving way to plain steel.

"Beckett…"

"What the…?"

Kate stood, examining the hunk of useless steel in her hands. Castle stood and followed her, his mind racing to come up with anything that might explain this away. Even his usually hyperactive imagination was coming up empty.

"Castle…" She spun to face her fiancé. "How in the _hell_…where is my badge?"

"I don't know." Castle shrugged and began pacing back and forth. "Either you've had it on you since you've been back, or it's been right here in the loft, in plain sight." He stopped pacing, his eyes growing wide. "Unless…"

Kate frowned. "What?"

"The first morning the other Kate was here, she found your badge and gun in the living room on top of your clothes. Convinced I had stolen them, she confiscated them and told me that I should get in touch with my lawyer." He shook his head. "But by the time I had Ryan and Esposito come over here, hoping they could explain to me and the other Beckett just what _the hell_ was going on, Ryan had your badge and gun."

"Only the badge is a phony." Kate sighed and tossed the faux badge onto the desk. "Which means…"

"Where's the real badge?"

"I didn't have it on me when I was…wherever that other place is."

"Are you sure?"

Kate nodded. "The first time I was in Castle's – _your_ – loft, I reached down to my hip for my badge and my gun, and neither one of them were there." She sighed, sitting next to Castle and resting her head on his shoulder. "The day I got back here, before coming back, I went back to the coal plant where this mess all started, and they weren't there either."

The color left Castle's face, and his hands frantically worked at the bowtie around his neck. He heaved a sigh once the tie was loose around his neck and he gently pulled the jacket off of his shoulders. He tossed the garment over the back of a nearby chair before kissing the top of Beckett's head.

"What the _hell_…?" Kate shook her head, chewing on her lip.

"Ryan…has a theory."

Kate lifted her head, studying Castle with a furrowed brow. His shoulders were hunched, and she saw that he had gone pale. His eyes darted back and forth, and he had to force himself to meet her gaze – cringing once he did.

"Ryan." She shook her head. "What is it?"

Castle sucked in a deep breath. "Who do we know…who specializes in forgeries and lookalikes and making everything _seem_ like they're on the up-and-up when they're really not?"

Realization flashed in Kate's hazel eyes, and she shook her head. The color was starting to leave her face as well, and on instinct, she grabbed Castle's hand and latched onto it as tightly as she possible could.

"No…"

"It's not Tyson himself." Castle swallowed. "He died two months ago. But…Kelly Nieman…"

Kate stood up and started to pace. Her hands were shaking. She felt like she was going to be sick. The detective shook her head, chewing on her lower lip. She shook her head and stopped, turning to Castle.

"Are we sure about Tyson? I mean…what if…what if this whole thing was a ruse? The other me, the other you, my mom…Bracken…" She shook her head and approached her fiancé, letting herself lean against him once Castle grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"This is elaborate, even for them." He kissed the top of her head again. "Besides, that's why we did the DNA test with the other you. It was a match, Kate."

"That doesn't mean anything." Kate looked up at her fiancé, her eyes watery. "We're talking about people who framed you for murder, who killed doppelgangers of both Lanie and Esposito, who…"

Kate's voice trailed off and she buried her face in the crook of Castle's neck, and once his broad arms surrounded her shoulders, she tugged on the collar of his dress shirt and started to cry. Castle's expression turned dour, and he closed his eyes with a deep breath to stem his own threatening tears.

"This was…" Kate sniffled and wiped at her eyes, shaking her head. "Taking you away from me, dangling my mother in front of my face like that…"

"Hey…" Castle brushed his thumb under Kate's eyes. "We've foiled them before. We'll do it again."

"And they'll get away." Kate's lower lip quivered. "Like they always do."

"No, they won't."

The resolute tone startled Kate, and she gave her fiancé a questioning look, even as another tear trickled down her cheek. She smiled ever so briefly when she felt Castle's thumb brush it aside.

"We're going to deal with them. Once and for all." Castle sucked in a deep breath, and he had a look on his face Kate hadn't seen since Alexis' kidnapping. "I am _through_ letting them terrorize us. I am _through_ waiting on pins and needles for their next move."

He stood and took Kate by the hand, kissing her with a ferocity she wasn't sure he'd yet shown to this point. When the kiss broke, she watched his nostrils flare, but the look in his eyes had calmed some.

"Enough waiting, Kate. I say we take the fight to them now."


	27. Chapter 27: Where to Start

_Canon reality…_

"Look, Castle…" Kate paused to sip at her wine. "I love that you're all gung-ho about dealing with Nieman, but…where do we even start?"

Castle cringed as he slaved over a pan on the top of the stove, steam rising from the vegetables as he prodded at them with a spatula. Hoisting a blue towel over his shoulder, Castle cracked open the oven, checking to see if the chicken was ready yet.

Content to let the meat sit for a few more minutes, he grabbed his own glass of wine.

"Honestly?" He cringed again. "I hadn't thought that far ahead."

Kate couldn't help but smirk. "Too busy being all macho and tough?"

"Hey, I think I'm allowed to have my moments." He leaned over the island in the middle of the kitchen, a mischievous grin on his face. "I can't let _you_ monopolize all the badass around here."

"I dunno…" She leaned forward, their wine glasses clinking together. "You've proven your badass-ness on a few occasions."

Castle couldn't keep the smile off his face as he pulled the chicken out of the oven, placing each breast on a plate before pulling the vegetables off the stove and pouring a portion of them next to each piece of chicken.

Setting the pan aside, and turning off the burner, Castle placed both plates on the island. He took a seat next to Kate, quirking an eyebrow when he saw the grin on her face. "What?"

"Nothing." She popped a hunk of broccoli into her mouth. "I just don't think I'll ever get used to you being all domestic."

"One of the benefits of being a single parent."

The pair ate in comfortable silence – a comfort she couldn't describe, given the confusion and the drama of the past several days. The ordeal wasn't even over, but at least Kate was back where she belonged – and with any luck, the other her was exactly where she needed to be, too.

Their dinner finished, Castle took the plates and placed them in the dishwasher, turning on the machine before tossing the towel into the sink. He and Kate took their wine glasses and walked hand-in-hand to the couch. They lowered themselves into the cushions with in-sync sighs, before Kate rested her head on his shoulder.

"We're getting married in two days, Castle."

He couldn't hide the smile, even if he wanted to. He placed his wine glass to the side before grabbing Kate's shoulder and pulling her tighter against him. He rested his head against hers with a contended sigh

"I can't wait, Beckett."

"Castle?"

"Hm?"

"Can our Nieman manhunt wait until _after_ the honeymoon?" Kate looked up at her fiancé, wrapping an arm around his waist. "I need a break from Marvel's _What If…?_"

Castle smiled at the reference to his daughter's favorite comic as a kid, and silently marveling once again at the fact that the love of his life – this beautiful, brave, badass woman with the heart of a saint – was as much of a geek as him.

Even if she didn't like to admit it.

"Promise." He kissed the top of her head. "Two days from now, you and I are going to spend a week of doing nothing but being with each other."

* * *

><p><em>The other reality…<em>

"I still can't believe your parents invited me to dinner."

Kate crossed to the other end of Castle's bedroom, helping him with the red tie hanging from his neck. It went well with the purple dress shirt, and the color combination seemed to bring out his blue eyes. Kate smoothed his collar once the tie was set, momentarily losing herself in his gaze before tearing away with a clear of her throat.

"Yeah, well…" Kate returned to the mirror, placing a silver necklace around her neck and smoothing her hands over her red dress – one her mother bought her as a graduation present, one that exposed her left shoulder. Her hair was done up in a bun, but auburn strands perfectly framed her face. "Think of it as…them apologizing for your arrest."

Castle smirked. "It's not their fault Demming's an idiot."

Kate's grin matched his. "No, but they're the ones who called him to report me missing in the first place."

Well, in that case…" Castle held out his arm, smiling when Kate hooked her arm into his. "…I would be glad to have dinner with your parents."

As they left his loft, Kate twirled a lock of hair between her fingers.

* * *

><p><em>The Becketts' house…<em>

"So Richard…" Jim Beckett paused to sip at a glass of wine. "What kind of books do you write?"

The confident, debonair Richard Castle the world saw on a near-daily basis was seldom on display in more private settings, and his insecurities really took hold in moments like this, when relative strangers asked about what he did. He knew he had no reason to be embarrassed; he was so well off that Alexis' children were to be set for life – if she were ever to have any.

Besides, _New York Times_ bestseller was something to be proud of. But still…

"Um…" The writer swallowed, wiping his mouth. "For the longest time, I was a mystery writer. I had a character, Derrick Storm, and he was so successful that I was able to put Alexis through college."

Johanna's brow arched. "And now?"

Castle tried not to cringe, and he cast a sideways glance at Kate, who was staring right back at him with an attentive smile on her face. "I, uh…I wrote a vampire novel." He shrugged and bought himself some time with a bite of chicken. "_Tainted Blood_. It's not my best, but people seem to like it well enough."

Jim frowned in thought. "Not your best?"

Castle finished off his glass of wine. "I just think I've…done better, as a writer." He exchanged another glance with Kate. "It was fun, branching out a little, getting out of my comfort zone and trying something different."

Johanna nodded in understanding. "But you're thinking the supernatural's not your place."

Castle shook his head. "I was thinking of…getting back into the mystery game." He smiled at Kate. "I've already got a character in mind. A smart, savvy homicide detective, who is relentless in her pursuit of justice while simultaneously honoring the fallen."

Kate's smile matched his, and she ducked her head before taking another couple bites of her meal so as not to arouse her parents' suspicions. She knew all about the character in question because technically, tech she had already read this character's first six books.

They were good, and Kate found herself wishing she was even half as compelling as the literary counterpart of her alter ego.

Johanna's smile brightened again. "So, how did you two meet?"

Kate and Castle's eyes met, and they swallowed their mouthfuls in unison. They really should've talked about that on the ride over. The truth was out of the question, because the last thing Kate needed was to be led away in a straitjacket so soon after getting back home.

Jim laughed, though it was largely nervous. "It's just…we're not used to Katie bringing men home." He cringed as soon as he said it, eliciting a mocking glare and arm slap from his wife of almost twenty five years.

"What Jim means is…Katie's work doesn't leave much time for a social life."

Castle sighed and leaned back in his chair, exchanging one more glance with Kate. "Well…I was at a book signing in Midtown a few weeks ago, and…I stepped out during a break to call my daughter."

Kate sipped her wine, content to let Castle take over the tale. He was, after all, the writer among them. She lived in the land of facts and proof; he made stuff up for a living.

"I rounded a street corner and ran into her." Castle smirked. "I mean, _literally_ ran into her. Spilled her grande skim latte, two pumps sugar free vanilla, all over her blouse."

The four of them roared with laughter.

"I was _hot_!"

Johanna leaned back in her chair, her eyes squeezed shut, she was laughing so hard. She shook her head and covered Jim's hand with her own, finally managing to calm herself enough to form coherent words.

"Oh, I bet." She snickered again. "No one touches Katie's coffee and gets away with it."

"Fortunately…" Castle waved his hand in front of himself, his smile full and bright now that he was on a roll with this story. "Before she could protest, I led her across the street into Macy's and bought her a new wardrobe, before getting her a replacement coffee."

Kate shook her head. "He was twenty minutes late for the rest of his signing."

Castle's eyebrows arched. "And my publicist hasn't forgotten that."

Still laughing, Johanna got up to take everyone's plates and place them in the sink in the other room, while Jim did the same with their wine glasses. He did, however, return with a refill for Kate and Castle, before Johanna and Jim made themselves scarce.

The younger duo sat at the dining table in momentary silence, neither of them missing on the fact that Kate's parents made it a point to give them this space. Kate sipped at her wine before clearing her throat.

"Quick thinking there." Her eyes flicked toward his. "With the story about how we met."

A sideways grin crossed Castle's face. "It's what I do."

"They like you." Kate sipped at her wine again, trying to keep her expression neutral – but a small smile still managed to creep onto her face. "Especially my mom."

Castle sank in his chair, swirling his wine glass. "That's a relief."

Kate furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

Castle sat up a little straighter again. "Come on, Beckett…we've been dancing around it pretty much since the moment we met. _You_ and me, I mean." His shoulders slumped, and Castle stared at the crimson liquid in his glass. "But it's there. Isn't it?"

"Yeah." She sighed. "Yeah, it's there."

"Before the other Kate left," he sighed, finally taking a sip of his wine, "she wrote me a letter. She said…I had to find you. That I deserved a life that's remarkable."

A sad smile crossed Beckett's lips and she nodded. "I met her. Before I got back." Her smile grew at the confused look on Castle's face. "Calm down, Castle. I'm sure the thought of two me's together gives you ideas, but…"

She sighed, downed the rest of her wine.

"Look, I know we said we'd talk about this after we figured everything out." Her eyes met Castle's. "But what if I don't want to wait anymore?"

For once, Richard Castle had no words. Instead, he pushed his wine glass aside before leaning in, taking Kate's face into his hands, and pressing his lips against hers. Their eyes fluttered shut as they deepened the embrace, their lips finally finding a rhythm against each other. Her hands rested on his shoulders, her fingers caressing her jawline.

The kiss only broke once they needed to breathe again, but their hands continued caressing each other. Hazel eyes met blue ones, and their smiles grew in unison.

"I don't either."

Her smile brightened even more, and Castle felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the giant, toothy grin for the first time. Years from now, when he was in a rocking chair with grandchildren sitting at his feet, he would tell them this was the moment he fell in love with their grandmother.

"Come on, Castle." She stood, grabbing for his hand. "I've got something to show you."


	28. Chapter 28: Vows

**_Author's Note: I struggled with what to do with this chapter, because I wanted to write them getting married, but I didn't want it to a complete carbon copy of the actual canon wedding...but the vows were just so, so perfect that I left them completely alone. At any rate, I tried. Let me know how I did!_**

* * *

><p><em>Canon reality…<em>

The weather in the Hamptons couldn't have been any nicer. The sky was completely devoid of clouds, and as the sun set, the sky was painted in a breathtaking mix of orange and blue and purple, with even a hint of pink thrown into the mix.

As he slid the black blazer over his shoulders, tugging his arms through the sleeves, Richard Castle couldn't help but smile – not just at the visual that never grew old, no matter how many times he'd seen a sunset here, but because of what he was just minutes away from accomplishing.

All of the pain he had endured the past several years – and particularly those two months that were still so foggy, so mysterious for him – none of that mattered right now, because he was about to marry the love of his life.

She'd been right before. The third time will, most definitely, be the charm.

* * *

><p>Seeing as how Kate Beckett had terrible luck with dresses – one was ruined when a water pipe burst in the apartment above hers, and the other one was stained and muddied and full of terrible memories of <em>that<em> day – she decided to forgo the dress this time.

She wouldn't give up the earrings Martha gave her for the world, though. She would treasure those as if Johanna herself had passed them down onto her, because to be perfectly honest, Martha had been very much like a mother to Kate over the years, even though she never once asked that of the older woman.

Kate caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, unable to keep the unbridled joy off of her face. Her hair was wavy and done up in an elegant ponytail, and the white pantsuit she'd almost forgotten she had suited her perfectly.

This was it. This was really happening. She was going to get married.

For real this time.

* * *

><p>As soon as Castle laid eyes on Kate, radiant as ever on her father's arm, his heart skipped a beat and he found himself unable to move. They locked eyes before Kate ducked her head, at which point Castle and Jim looked and each other, both men exchanging a nod of understanding.<p>

After what simultaneously felt like seconds and hours, Jim unhooked his arm from Kate's once she was on the platform with Castle. Jim leaned in to kiss her cheek, giving her shoulders a squeeze. Castle was about to turn to his bride-to-be, but Jim reached out and pulled Castle into a quick hug, patting him on the back.

"Thank you, Rick." Jim shook his hand after the hug. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to my Katie."

Castle opened his mouth to speak, but no words came, so he just shook Jim's hand and offered the most genuine smile he could muster in the moment. Alexis and Martha were standing behind him, and he could already hear the sniffles coming from his daughter.

The dopey grin returned to Castle's face once he turned his attention back to Kate. "Hi."

_Oh yeah, that was _real_ smooth…_

Her own smile grew in kind, and Kate ducked her head while brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hi."

The justice of the peace, a short black man, cleared his throat. "Are we ready?"

Stealthily running his hands over his pockets, making sure he had the ring, Castle grinned and nodded. But he straightened just as quickly, his eyes going wide before he gave both Kate and the justice of the peace a sheepish grin. "Just a sec."

Closing his eyes, Castle pinched the back of his right hand. Opening his left eye, and noticing that nothing had changed, he relaxed with another grin and a nod.

"Right. Let's do this."

Kate couldn't hide the laugh that spilled from her throat, shaking her head at the fact that even now – in their proudest, happiest moment – Richard Castle was still a goofball. Pulling a ring out of her pocket – yes, this thing had pockets – Kate took Castle's left hand and slid the band onto his ring finger before taking a moment to compose herself.

She'd worked on these vows for about a week. She'd started over three times.

"The moment that I met you…" Kate swallowed, looking up at her lover. "…my life became extraordinary. You taught me to be my best self, to look forward to tomorrow's adventures." She straightened her posture, staring directly into Castle's eyes. "And when I was vulnerable, you were strong."

His trademark sideways grin brought out a smile of her own.

"I love you, Richard Castle, and I want to live my life in the warmth of your smile and the strength of your embrace. I promise you that I will love you, be your friend, and your partner in crime and in life. Always."

His eyes turned watery. Castle had to look down as he fished the ring out of his pocket so he could compose himself. When his gaze lifted again, there were still tears in his blue eyes, but Castle held them at bay, taking Kate's left hand and sliding the ring onto her finger, against the engagement ring she'd worn constantly since his return.

"The moment we met…" Castle cleared his throat. "…my life became extraordinary. You taught me more about myself than I knew there was to learn. You are the joy in my heart. You're the last person I want to see at night when I close my eyes."

Kate ducked her head again, blinking back tears. _Oh yeah, I'm definitely marrying a writer_…

"I love you, Katherine Beckett, and the mystery of you is the one I want to spend the rest of my life exploring. I promise to love you, to be your friend, and your partner in crime and in life, 'til death do us part…" The sideways grin returned. "…and for the time of our lives."

Kate smiled so broadly that her cheeks started to hurt, and the justice of the peace didn't have time to say anything before she closed the distance between herself and Castle, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing her lips against his.

His hands rested on her sides, and his lips worked in perfect concert with hers.

They must've gotten lost in themselves, because they only broke off the kiss after Martha cleared her throat, and the newlyweds turned to see two redheads arching their eyebrows at them. Both Kate and Castle laughed, Kate burying her face in her husband's shirt to hide the embarrassment.

So they got carried away. After recent events, could they really be blamed?

Martha and Alexis took turns giving Jim a hug, the justice of the peace ducking out of the way with a smile on his face. His job was done; the rest of the evening and night belonged to the newlyweds and their family.

Castle took Kate's hand, and they stood on the white platform they'd just been married on, content to watch as their family wandered onto the grounds, Alexis pouring glasses of champagne for herself and Martha before handing Jim a glass of cider. The three all raised their glasses in a toast, and Kate rested her head on Castle's shoulder.

"Penny for your thoughts, Mrs. Castle?"

"This was perfect." Kate hooked her arms around her husband's waist, smiling at the sound of _Mrs. Castle_. "Thank you, Rick."

Castle shook his head. "No…thank _you_, Kate." He smiled when she looked up at him with a confused glare. "For believing in me, even when all of the evidence told you not to. For sticking with me when I came back."

"We've come too far to let that get in the way." Kate squeezed Castle. "I mean, after my apartment blowing up and me taking a sniper bullet to the heart, everything else seems pretty minor."

"Yeah, but we weren't together when that stuff happened."

"No, but it led us to here." Kate looked up at Castle, reaching up to brush her fingers through his dark hair. "I mean, think about it…you're the one who pulled me out of my apartment. You're the one who tackled me trying to save me." She shook her head. "You risked your life for me twice before I even acknowledged, even to myself, how I felt about you. I think that's why I knew how you felt before you even told me."

"I'm forever grateful you came to me that night." Castle wrapped his arms around his wife's waist, briefly closing his eyes. "I thought I had seen you for the last time. Never been more glad to be wrong."

She smiled against Castle's chest. "Hey, Castle?"

"Hm?"

"Let's not wait until one of us almost dies to say what we mean anymore."

He squeezed Kate again, and when she looked up, Castle devoured her into another deep, loving kiss. They wrapped their arms as tightly around each other as they could, and when the kiss broke, Kate rested her head against Castle's chest. He smiled and kissed the top of her head as they swayed back and forth – almost as if they were dancing, even though there was no music.

"Deal."


	29. Chapter 29: Ambushed

_**Author's Note: Sorry for the length of time between delays. Work has been hectic, and I'm trying to figure out where to take all these fics next. Hope you're enjoying it, and if you are, feel free to leave a review!**_

* * *

><p><em>The other reality…<em>

Richard Castle would've been lying if he'd said his mind didn't go to a very dirty place when Kate Beckett led him up the stairs and into her bedroom because she had something to show him. Logically, he knew that wasn't what this was – considering her parents, whom he had just met, were still downstairs.

They made themselves scarce, but not _that _scarce – and Castle didn't really feel like potentially ruining the good first impression he had apparently made on them.

However, in a rare show of discretion, he kept those thoughts and whatever other witty banter he would normally throw out there to himself. He stood at the doorway to Kate's room as she crossed over to her closet, opening the door and dropping to a knee as she rummaged through a few boxes.

"This isn't where you hide the bodies, is it?"

"No." Kate gave a sly grin over her shoulder. "That's what the basement's for."

He smiled in return, glad to see her humorous side – and even more glad that in some ways, it was in-tune with his. That was almost as much a relief to him as the fact that he got along with her parents – though Castle couldn't help but let his mind drift to their counterparts, sad that they would never experience a quiet night and a nice meal with her mother.

Kate stood and smoothed out her skirt, breaking Castle's train of thought – because honestly, those legs would break the focus of anyone, even those guards at the palace gates in England. You know, the ones who aren't even supposed to smile.

"I told the other you that we'd never met." Kate gave Castle an expectant look, and his eyes flicked downward to notice a book cradled in her arms. "While that's true…I've known who you are for quite some time."

When Kate held out the book for Castle, he gasped. It was a copy of _In a Hail of Bullets_ – his first published work.

"Kate…"

"I wish I could say I've kept up with your career." Kate gave a sheepish grin, ducking her head.

"Why haven't you?"

"Part of it's my work." Kate sighed. "I live murder and mystery every day, so why come home and dive into even more of it, you know?"

Truth be told, Castle felt a sense of pride in knowing Kate was a fan of his first book – and in a way, it was a better feeling than he had whenever someone complimented him on any of his other works. Not that he didn't enjoy the praise heaped upon his Derrick Storm novels, or even his latest work, but for someone to admit to being a fan of _In a Hail of Bullets_? Easily his worst work?

That was special.

"At least in my books," Castle took a tentative step forward, tracing his hand along Kate's right arm, "you know there'll be a just ending…if not necessarily a happy one."

"I feel bad, though." Kate shrugged. "Apparently, the other me was a huge fan."

"Of the _other_ me, yeah." Castle took one of Kate's hands into his. "And apparently, the feeling was mutual if he created an entire series of books based on her."

"They were good, too." A wistful smile crossed her face. "Okay, maybe the first couple, not so much, but eventually he hit his stride and Nikki Heat was every bit as popular and successful as Derrick Storm."

Castle grinned. "Guess I better get to writing, then."

Their fingers intertwined as Kate tossed the book onto her bed and led him out of her room, back down the stairs, and outside. They sat on a bench overlooking the back yard of the property, and beyond that sat a lake and a small grove of trees. The moonlight reflected on the lake, and Castle smiled at the view – and the feeling of Kate's arm wrapping around his.

"You think we'll be okay?" he asked. "The other us, I mean."

"I think so." Kate nuzzled against Castle's arm with a contented sigh. "Maybe they'll finally get married now – if they haven't already."

* * *

><p><em>Canon reality…<em>

"Come on, Castle, we're gonna be late!"

"No, we're not." Castle hustled from his office to the front door of his loft, roller suitcase trailing behind him as he hoisted a blue backpack over his shoulder and carried a pair of coats in his arm. "That's the beauty of private planes, Kate…they leave whenever you want."

Kate stopped him when he got to the door, pulling him in for a long kiss, biting her lower lip when they finally parted. "Well, maybe I'm just anxious to get our honeymoon started."

Castle smiled, locking the door once they crossed into the hallway. "Who could blame you?"

By the time they made their way down the stairs, through the lobby, and onto the sidewalk, the car service was already there waiting for them. Castle placed all of their luggage into the back seat of the car before swinging open the rear door on the passenger's side for Kate to slide in. She stole another kiss before lowering herself into the vehicle, before Castle joined her and their hands immediately clasped together.

Rapping his knuckle against the partition, Castle couldn't keep the smile off his face. "LaGuardia, please."

The car rolled off, and Kate leaned in to rest her head on Castle's shoulder. Her left hand rested on his arm, and when Castle looked down, he couldn't help but smile at the sight of the rings on her finger. The wedding had gone off perfectly, and he was still pinching himself at random, unable to believe Kate Beckett was finally his wife.

It was the most at-peace Castle had been since his disappearance months prior.

They rode in comfortable silence for several minutes, until Castle's turned his head to look out the window. He frowned and sat up a little straighter, leaning toward the window. Kate's gaze followed his own, and her grip on his arm tightened.

"Castle…?"

"The airport's the other way." Castle tapped the partition again. "Uh, excuse me? I'm sorry, but uh…I think you got turned around somehow. We're going the wrong way."

Without warning, the car swerved violently across traffic, soliciting a cacophony of blared horns and angrier-than-usual New York drivers. Both Castle and Kate grabbed onto anything they could – each other, mainly – to hang on as they jostled along the back seat. Castle flashed Kate a worried glance before she sat up, clenched her jaw, and pounded her fist against the partition.

"NYPD! Stop the car – _now_!"

On cue, the car screeched to a halt. By the time Castle and Kate had a chance to catch their breath, they heard the driver's door slam shut, footsteps crunching along gravel and pavement. The rear door on the driver's side swung open, and before the pair could react, they were staring down the barrel of a gun.

"I know where LaGuardia is." The man was doing his best to keep his face hidden, but he knew the pair in the back seat would recognize his voice. He smiled at that knowledge. "But that's not where we're going."

Castle felt sick, his hands starting to shake. "Tyson…"

The man lowered himself so Castle and Kate could finally get a good look at his face, clean-shaven and a little thinner than the last time they'd crossed paths. He shrugged and his dark eyes lit up with disturbing glee. "Good to see you too, Rick. Congratulations, by the way."

"What the _fuck_ do you want?" Kate snarled.

Tyson cocked the gun, which made Castle flinch. "I _want_…things to go back to the way they used to be." He waved the gun back and forth, his eyes narrowing and jaw clenching. "Before _you two_ started fucking things up."

"So this is your big plan?" Castle shook his head. "Kill us on our honeymoon?"

Tyson laughed and shook his head, pointing the gun behind himself before pulling the trigger and then placing the weapon in the holster on his left hip. "_Kill_ you? Rick, if that was what I wanted, you and your cop lady here would already be dead. No…I want to destroy you. That's much more fun."

"So this is just some big game for you."

Tyson regarded Kate with a dark grin, leaning in and resting his hands on the top of the car. "Oh, I'm having a _ball_, Detective. Tell me…take any good trips lately? Meet any long-lost familiar faces?"

Realization and dread overwhelmed her hazel eyes, and Kate shook her head with her mouth agape. She dared a sideways glance at Castle, noting the darkness in his eyes and his clenched jaw. She hadn't seen that look since Alexis was taken.

"I'll take that as a yes." Tyson fished around in the pocket of his coat, producing the circular amulet Kate remembered seeing at that coal plant before she wound up back in her own reality. She gasped when she saw it, tightening her grip on her husband.

"It was you." She shook her head. "This whole time…"

Tyson pocketed the amulet again with a chuckle. "Hey, when I go, I go big." He slammed the car door shut, his muffled voice still carrying enough for them to hear him. "The best part? I'm just getting started."

The engine roared to life again, and the car started moving. Castle gave his wife a worried look, some of the darkness and anger in his eyes giving way to unbridled fear. No one got under his skin quite like Jerry Tyson, and it seemed that he had stepped up his proverbial game to a level neither of them could've fathomed.

"Kate…"

"We'll find a way out of this, Castle." She shook her head. "I don't know how, but…we will."

"How do you know?"

"Because I am _not_ gonna let some psychopath goon tear us apart after we finally got our happy ending." The look in Kate's eyes mirrored that of Castle's just minutes before, her hands balling into fists, even as she leaned against him. "We'll bring him down once and for all…even if it means I have to put him in the ground myself."


	30. Chapter 30: Duplicity

_Canon reality…_

William Bracken had been holed up in a federal penitentiary in Lee, Virginia since his highly public arrest several months back. The murder charge was, by far, the most serious – and the reason authorities had argued to keep him in a high-security facility. It wasn't but _so bad_, but Bracken was anxious to get the trial underway.

Mostly because the sooner the trial came and went, the sooner he could rid himself of his poor excuse for a lawyer. He once thought money and influence would get him the best lawyer money could buy, but news of his pending murder charges made Bracken something of a pariah.

So here Bracken sat in his orange jumpsuit, wrists bound together by handcuffs that were also chained to the floor, glaring at his poor excuse for a lawyer – a thin man named Smith whose hair was white as a sheet and who looked like he'd rather be anywhere but with his newfound client.

A woman stood guard, red strands of hair spilling from her hat. Bracken had never seen her before, but there had been a lot of turnover among the security staff of late.

"You can plead not guilty if you want," Smith sighed, "but I gotta be honest, Senator. That tape? Really hampers any case I could build."

"What about the cops?" Bracken shrugged. "They were dirty."

"They're also all dead." Smith sighed and leaned back in his chair. "According to the file…Raglan killed by a sniper. McCallister killed in his jail cell. Montgomery killed in a firefight in an airplane hangar." Smith's gaze narrowed. "Why do I have a feeling this is all related?"

Bracken shrugged. "You've been reading too many mystery novels."

"No. No novels here." Smith offered a tight, humorless smile. "Just an exhaustive and thorough case file compiled by the detective who arrested you. A…Kate Beckett." The smile brightened slightly. "Now, to be fair, the file _does_ read like a mystery novel, but entertainment value aside, there's not much for me to work with."

Bracken frowned. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you better hope the trial gets moved to a state where capital punishment is no longer a thing." Smith looked over his shoulder, snapping his fingers and giving the guard a nod. The woman responded by taking off her hat, her red hair spilling out over her shoulders, before grabbing her weapon and knocking Smith in the back of the head with the butt of it.

Bracken gasped when Smith slumped face-first onto the table, blood trickling from the back of his head. By the time the disgraced Senator looked up at the guard, all he saw was the barrel of her gun and the devilish smile on her face.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she suppressed the trigger. The bullet sank into Bracken's brain and he slumped forward, dead, blood pooling on the table.

William Bracken never even got to scream.

The woman placed the gun on the table, beside Bracken's body, before pulling a handheld gold plaque next to the weapon. She smiled to herself before fishing a phone out of her pocket and pressing it to her ear.

It would be a while before anyone would notice what happened. They'd eventually find the guard who was supposed to be on duty, a portly man named Patterson, stuffed in a closet, dead and naked.

"Hey, babe." Her smile grew as she watched a drop of blood hit the floor. "Yep. Just finishing up here. How's your end going?"

Kelly Nieman's smile grew even more. "Perfect…"

* * *

><p><em>The other reality…<em>

The knock at the door snapped Johanna Beckett from her trance, and she lifted her head from the stack of papers in front of her. Some new agriculture bill that was going to be voted on as soon as Congress' next session started, and she wanted to find out what was actually in the bill before voting on it.

"Jim?" Johanna frowned when she took off her glasses. "Jim, can you get that for me?"

The knock returned, and Johanna sighed, having forgotten that Jim went into the city for a meeting earlier that morning. He had a big case coming up in the next few weeks, and the clients were…antsy, to put it kindly.

Leaving her office, Johanna crossed to the front door and opened it, her brow furrowing in confusion when she saw the pair standing in her front yard.

"Commissioner Gates." Johanna cocked her head to the side. "Can I help you?"

Victoria Gates sighed and gave a sympathetic look. "Sorry to bother you, Senator. This is Rachel McCord with the FBI. May we speak with your daughter, please?"

Johanna's frown deepened, dread threatening to overwhelm her. "Katie? She left for work two hours ago."

The other woman, with wavy black hair that went past her shoulders, shook her head. "We already checked. She's not in her office, and no one there has seen her for a few days."

Ignoring the other woman, Johanna glanced at Gates. "Vicky, what is this all about? Katie's not missing again, is she?"

Without speaking, Gates produced a folded-up piece of paper from the inside of her blazer, handing it to Johanna. The Senator-elect grabbed the paper and unfolded it, her eyes widening as her eyes danced over its contents.

"What?" Johanna shook her head. "No. This…this isn't possible. It can't be."

"I'm afraid it is, Jo." Gates frowned slightly. "FBI Forensics analyzed the weapon used to kill William Bracken and found a hair embedded in the chamber. DNA test provided a match to Kate."

"Well, it's wrong!" Johanna glared at the other woman. "_You're_ wrong!"

"DNA evidence doesn't lie, Senator." McCord shrugged her shoulders, acting far too nonchalant over the fact that she was apparently accusing this woman's daughter of murder.

"We need to talk to Katherine," Gates explained, her expression at least conveying how badly she felt about this. At best, it was horribly uncomfortable; at worst, it risked tearing apart the younger Beckett's entire career. "We're going to find her anyway, so why don't you tell us where she is?"

"I don't know where she is!" Johanna protested. "I thought she was going to work!"

The burgeoning Senator fished out her phone, frantically searching for her daughter in her contacts before finding the right name and hitting _Call_. Her free hand brushed wildly through her hair as Johanna waited for the phone to ring, silently willing the call to connect.

_Hi, you've reached Kate Beckett, Assistant District Attorney_…

"Dammit…"

A proverbial lightbulb went off in Johanna's head, and she dialed another number – from memory, since it wasn't yet in her contacts list – and repeating the ritual. Clutching the phone, chewing her lower lip, praying to a deity she wasn't entirely convinced existed.

_Hi, you've reached Richard Castle. Leave a message…_

"Dammit!"

Gates arched a brow. "Senator…?"

Johanna couldn't hide the panic in her eyes, even if she tried. "I…I can't get a hold of her…"

* * *

><p><em>Canon reality…<em>

By the time Kate Beckett came to, she found herself tied to a wooden chair, wrists and ankles bound together against the furniture. She shook the last waves of unconsciousness out of her system, blinking her eyes and taking in her surroundings. She felt stirring behind her, looking over her shoulder to see the back of her husband's head.

"Castle!"

The man groaned, his head eventually lifting. He was tied to a chair, just like her. He sucked in a deep breath, and when he spoke, his speech was slow and slurred, like he was being jolted from the deepest, most comfortable slumber.

"Beckett…?"

"Castle!" Kate huffed a breath of relief, glad he was conscious. "Are you hurt?"

"No…?" Silence, and then the writer spoke again, with a little more confidence. "No. You?"

"No. I…I don't think so."

"Where are we?"

Kate took in her surroundings again, frowning when familiarity and dread coiled together tightly in her stomach. Her hands shook against their bindings, and she felt his grab onto her, their chairs thankfully close enough that he could anchor her this way.

"My father's cabin…"

Before either of them could truly vocalize the reality of being in Jim Beckett's upstate cabin – instead of at LaGuardia en route to their magical island getaway of a honeymoon – the door slid open, just a crack, just enough for a shadowy figure to step in and toss something their way. Kate flinched when the object flopped against the wooden floor, and she looked down to see a copy of the _New York Times_, the top fold visible.

She gasped when she read the headline.

"What is it?"

Kate choked back the sob that threatened to burst from her throat, while simultaneously fighting off the rising bile. She shook her head and trembled anew, so hard that not even her husband's touch could calm her. His hands tightened on hers.

"Kate? Kate, what is it?"

"Castle…"

Her eyes stared at the bold letters sprawled out atop the newspaper:

_Disgraced Senator Bracken Murdered; NYPD Detective on the Run_


	31. Chapter 31: On the Run

_Canon reality…_

"This doesn't make any sense."

So lost in her own thoughts and fears, was Kate, that her husband's voice didn't register at first. She couldn't tear her eyes from the _New York Times_ still on the floor, the headline mocking her. She shook her head, tears building in her eyes but refusing to fall. She tugged on the bindings on her wrists, grunting in frustration when she found there was no give.

Furrowing her brow, Kate glanced over her shoulder. "What'd you say, Castle?"

"I said this doesn't make any sense." He shook his head, turning as much as he could to face his wife. "Why would Tyson frame you for a murder, have you on the run, but you're not actually…on the run?"

Kate frowned.

"Think about it, Kate. Wouldn't it make more sense to let you roam free, while your face is plastered on every TV and newspaper throughout the country, branding you a murderer to every stranger who sees you?"

"Holing me up in a cabin no one knows about…" Kate shook her head. "That doesn't accomplish anything."

"Unless…"

Kate frowned again. "Unless what?"

"Unless Tyson plans to kill in your name again."

"I don't think so." Kate sighed and leaned her head back, taking some measure of solace in the fact that their chairs were close enough that they could at least lean their heads together. Even if they couldn't see each other, at least they could still have contact. "This wasn't just some random murder. He killed Senator Bracken."

Castle sighed and nodded. "He made it personal."

"How does one even kill a man being held in a federal penitentiary?"

"Well, if anyone can…it'd be Tyson."

"Yeah, but how would he even—" Kate's voice trailed off and her eyes went wide, a cold shiver wracking her body as the realization hit her with the force of an 18-wheeler barreling down the highway. She glanced over her shoulder, her voice cracking. "My badge! Castle…"

"And what was that in his hand?" Castle shook his head. "When we were in the car."

"The amulet?"

Castle's brow furrowed the way it always did when he was deep in thought, when he was busy trying to make the pieces fit together – even if on their own they appeared completely inconsequential. He shook his head, and his frown deepened.

"Kate…"

"Castle, I think this is related to my disappearance." Kate shook her head. "That other world, where you and I never met? I come back and suddenly my badge is gone? And now this? Castle…what if it's all related?"

The writer sighed and clenched his jaw. "These wild theories are a lot more fun when I'm using them to tease you…"

"You think the other us are in on this too?"

"More likely they're victims, just as much as us." Castle struggled against his own bindings, gritting his teeth as he felt the material digging into his wrists, chaffing the skin. There was no give; he still couldn't break himself free.

Whatever was going to happen next, he and Kate were helpless to stop it.

* * *

><p><em>The other reality…<em>

The aroma of freshly-brewed coffee stirred Kate from her slumber, and as she sank herself even deeper into the obnoxiously comfortable mattress, stretching and blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she couldn't keep the dopey grin off of her face. She might've been in her early thirties, but Kate very much felt like a teenager in love for the first time.

Mostly because she couldn't remember the last time she had been in love.

Were it not for the smell of coffee coming from the kitchen, Kate would've been worried about the empty space in bed next to her. Instead, she slipped out of bed, pulled one of Castle's white button-downs over her shoulders, and fastened just a few of the buttons before padding her way through his office and into the kitchen.

She smiled at the sight of him, in an incredibly soft robe, carrying two mugs of steaming hot coffee. He saw her and smiled, handing Kate a mug when they met by the sofa. "Morning, Kate."

She ducked her head, biting her lip and tucking a stray band of hair behind her ear. "Hey."

Lowering himself onto the sofa – which was every bit as comfortable as the bed – Castle grabbed Kate by the hand. She sat next to him, hooking one of her legs over his, taking her first sip of coffee before kissing him.

"Best sleep I've had in years," she whispered against his lips.

He arched a brow, mirth and teasing sparkling in his blue eyes. "The morning after and you're bragging about the sleep?" He feigned hurt. "You wound me, Beckett."

She smacked Castle's chest with a huff of a laugh, before Kate rested her head on his shoulder. She was amazed at just how well their bodies fit together – in every sense – and she felt the dull thump of his heartbeat against the palm of her hand. He flipped on the television, and Kate could feel his heart skip a beat once the screen fully illuminated.

With a frown, Kate glanced up at the screen, nearly doubling over in shock. She stared back at herself, smiling in a business suit with the American flag and the New York flag on either side of her. The chryon under her professional photograph read _DA Turned Fugitive: Beckett on the Run_.

She sat up, setting her mug aside and running shaky fingers through her hair. "Castle…"

"_Authorities believe Beckett has an accomplice, rumored to be _New York Times_ bestselling novelist Richard Castle. Attempts to reach out to Castle's representatives have been unsuccessful. The FBI is asking that anyone with any information call their hotline._"

Castle turned off the television, a stunned look etched into his features as Kate sprang from the sofa, crossing to the bedroom to grab her phone. She cringed at the fact that the device was dead; she'd forgotten to put it on the charger the night before. Finding a plug, she charged the device and got it to turn back on…

…only to find dozens of missed calls and unanswered texts from her mother.

"Castle…"

"This doesn't make any sense." Castle stood and closed the distance between himself and Kate, taking her free hand and shaking his head. Whereas she was on the verge of full-on panic, he was already trying to put the pieces together. "How are you on the run? You've been with me the whole time."

Kate arched a brow. "And if they think I'm with you…"

Castle shrugged. "Why hasn't anyone tried to find me?"

"And why accuse _me_ of murdering Bracken?" Kate shook her head, her phone still in her hand as she started pacing. "I have no beef with him. I mean, yeah, he was an ass and he said some really nasty stuff about my mom during the campaign, but…"

Castle and retrieved his phone in the interim, frowning at the screen before flashing the device to Kate. "Do you recognize that number?"

Kate frowned. "That's my mom. Why would she be calling you?"

Castle shrugged. "Cause she couldn't get a hold of you?"

She shook her head with a ragged sigh, swiping her thumb over the screen of her phone before pressing it to her ear. She closed her eyes and swallowed back the dread threatening to creep up her throat, her free hand snaking through her hair.

"_Oh my God, Katie, where are you?! Where have you been?!_"

"I'm with Castle, mom." The newfound lovers exchanged a glance.

"_Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in? Commissioner Gates and someone from the FBI came here yesterday looking for you!_"

"Mom…" Kate's voice cracked. "You _know_ I didn't do this."

"_But they don't!_" Johanna sighed through the phone. "_Look, you and Castle need to go turn yourselves in. Your father and I will handle all of the legal ends._"

"Turn ourselves in?!" Kate's voice rose a couple octaves. "Mom…"

"_They found your DNA at the crime scene. There was a hair follicle in the chamber of the gun, Katie. They matched it to you._"

"Well, it's a mistake." Kate's confidence faltered, even as Castle's hand grabbed hers, their fingers interlocking. "Mom, you _have_ to believe me. I would _never_ do something like this!"

"_I have a press conference in two hours._" There was something in Johanna's voice that Kate couldn't place. It wasn't nearly as warm and affectionate as usual. "_What am I supposed to tell the press?_"

"The truth! I didn't do this!"

"_Then you need to find a way to prove it, Katie_."

The call disconnected before Kate could react, and she stared wide-eyed at Castle, tears building in her eyes as he squeezed her hand and pulled her into a tight hug. "Castle…"

"Let me take you somewhere, Kate." Castle kissed the top of Kate's head. "Somewhere we'll be safe."

Kate shook her head, even as she burrowed herself into Castle's chest, her hands clutching at his back. "No." She looked up to gaze into his eyes, determination spilling into hers. "I'm not running from this. There's a way to prove I didn't kill Bracken, and I'm gonna find it."

Castle squeezed her. "No. _We're_ gonna find it."


	32. Chapter 32: Conspiratorial Leanings

_**Author's Note: Reviews are love. Also, check out the first chapter of my new fic, Not Just a Cop, a Castle/Buffy/Angel crossover. Please give that fic a look and review as well!**_

* * *

><p><em>The other reality…<em>

Kate Beckett once told herself that she would never wear a pair of those giant sunglasses, the ones that made the people who wore them look like bugs from a distance. Yet here she was, walking along one of the many crowded streets in Manhattan, wearing just such a pair. She made sure her hair covered her face as much as possible, the collar of her coat flipped up to further hide her features.

Next to her, Richard Castle wore a dark baseball cap, hung low over his eyes – which were also shielded by a pair of sunglasses. They weren't as large as hers, but they did their job. He was also letting stubble settle into his cheeks, the idea that facial hair on a man who had been clean-shaven since college would be an effective disguise.

Under different circumstances, Kate would tease him about the flecks of gray emerging on his face. But she wasn't in a teasing mood – not when her hazel eyes darted around everyone who passed them by, paranoid that they would be spotted.

Over the past twenty-four hours, their respective images had spread across nearly every television station, website, and newspaper throughout the country. No doubt there were people crossing the street who would spot them and turn them in without hesitation – mostly because of the hefty reward being offered by the FBI.

Time was, Kate was on the fast track to the Supreme Court. Now, she was an intrepid pair of eyes away from being turned in for $250,000.

"Rick," she hissed through gritted teeth, careful to use her boyfriend's generic first name instead of his more natural surname. "Where are we going?"

He leaned in, careful to keep his own voice quiet. "I know a guy."

Kate quirked a brow, even though her sunglasses masked the gesture, cocking her head to the side. "Really?" She shook her head with a smirk. "What are you, in the mob or something?"

He smiled as best he could, but with the tension built up in his shoulders over the past couple days, it looked more like a grimace. "Got a lot of contacts from research over the years. One of those contacts is a PI."

As they crossed the street, Kate gave Castle's hand a tug before they ducked off into an alley, out of earshot of everyone coming to and fro on the busy sidewalk. She cocked her head to the side again after glancing over her shoulder.

"A PI?"

"Yeah." Castle shrugged. "What's wrong?"

"You think a PI can solve a case that has even the FBI flummoxed?"

Castle gave a knowing smile, giving Kate's a hand a squeeze before leading her out of the alley and back into the busy sidewalk. "_This_ PI can. He's actually former FBI."

* * *

><p><em>Canon reality…<em>

The woods surrounding Jim Beckett's cabin were dense, clusters of trees seeming to go on for miles. At certain points, one could look skyward but not see the sky. The terrain was hilly, land strewn with logs and twigs that made maneuvering treacherous at times – particularly in the dark of night.

Jerry Tyson and Kelly Nieman strode through the woods with each, each covered from head to toe in black – not just because of the chill of night, moonlight spilling out through the trees at random intervals. If their plan was to continue working, leaving behind evidence that led to _them_ was out of the question.

"Stroke of genius, making them all think you were dead," Nieman mused with a smile, running her right palm along a slab of tree bark.

"What can I say?" Tyson grinned, pulling a handgun from his pocket. "Driving those two crazy is what I live for."

Nieman turned to glance at her lover and partner, the smile on her face disappearing once she saw the gun in Tyson's hand. "What…?"

"It's time for Phase Two, my love." There was no expression on his face, and Tyson raised his weapon to point it at Nieman. "We both knew it would come down to this."

Nieman experienced fear and betrayal, but she pushed aside both of those emotions, reaching up to undo the ponytail to let her red locks spill out over her shoulders. She knew this had been part of the deal all along, but in a rare moment of humanity, she'd allowed herself to think there was another way.

Part of her had hoped killing Senator Bracken would be enough. But Nieman knew better; she knew Tyson wouldn't stop there. He had called this his swan song at one point, the final salvo in bringing down the meddlesome author and his warrior of justice lover.

"Just make it quick."

With a squeeze of the trigger, Nieman fell to the ground, blood seeping from the perfect circular hole in her forehead. Her eyes were wide, staring into the night sky as Tyson approached and suppressed the trigger again – one more in the heart, just in case.

Tyson knelt down with a sigh, placing the weapon on Nieman's chest before brushing his hand over her face to close her eyes. He shook his head and cupped Nieman's cheek in his palm. "I'm sorry, babe."

Tyson stood, allowing himself one more glance at his lover before disappearing into the night.

* * *

><p><em>The cabin…<em>

Castle came to first, blinking the weariness out of his eyes before noticing that the cabin was almost pitch black. Night had fallen since he and his wife were again rendered unconscious, and Castle felt bile rising in his throat once the reality of the situation dawned on him again. They were being held captive, Kate framed for the murder of a disgraced Senator.

Jerry Tyson – the only person Castle ever feared in his years of shadowing Kate – was behind all of it, and Castle figured he shouldn't have been surprised. If anyone could fake their own death and return weeks later in yet another attempt to ruin lives, it would be Tyson.

On instinct, Castle flexed his wrists to test his bindings again…only to realize they were no longer there. Castle could move his arms freely, and soon enough, he discovered he could move his legs as well. The writer stood, confusion etched into his features until he saw Kate slumped over in her own chair.

Panic coursed through Castle's veins until he felt her pulse against his fingertips. Sighing in relief, he noticed that her bindings were gone as well. He placed soft hands on Kate's shoulders, set to shake her out of her stupor before he noticed the red welt on the side of her neck. His brow furrowing, Castle brought a hand to his own neck, his eyes widening once he felt a similar mark on his skin.

Great. They'd been drugged.

Castle scooped his unconscious wife into his arms, not unlike a year earlier when he found her on the brink of unconsciousness in front of some random hotel room when they were on the run. The sense of déjà vu was sickening, and Castle carefully walked out of the bedroom, hoping the silence of the cabin meant Tyson wasn't around.

Then again, Castle knew, this was probably by design. After all, if the two of them were supposed to be on the run, fugitives accused of a crime they didn't commit, then being tied to chairs in a remote cabin made no sense.

Still, if Castle had to choose between being on the run or being Tyson's houseguest, he'd pick being on the run. Every single time.

* * *

><p><em>The other reality…<em>

Kate didn't recognize the building Castle had led her into, an unmarked property with an entrance that faced one of New York's many faceless alleys. The building, much like the duo, was nondescript, meant not to be found unless those who were looking were of great need and knew what to look for.

Once they were inside, both Kate and Castle shed their sunglasses, and Castle did the same with his baseball cap. Kate's heart skipped a beat when a television on the counter showed their head shots, turning to her new boyfriend with a wide gaze.

"Castle…"

"It's okay." Castle approached the front desk, smacking his open palm against the bell. "We're safe here."

An elderly man emerged from a room behind the front desk. His white hair was cut close to his head, a matching beard framing his face. He had the same striking blue eyes as Castle, eyes that lit up when he saw the writer.

"Ricky, my boy!" The older man smiled, but the smile disappeared once he glanced at the TV screen and looked back at the writer and the woman standing beside him. "So I'm guessing this isn't a social visit."

"No, I'm afraid not." Castle glanced at Kate. "Beckett, this is Jackson Hunt. Private investigator, former FBI Special Agent…and my father."


End file.
